#to me he got like. tested on in a factory for a chunk of his childhood

[montygatorguy]

hydra feels like one of those guys who went through some insane shit in his childhood but as an adult he’s just like “yeah that was crazy but it’s all good now” and everyone else is concerned for him

[dewdrops-whammy-bar]

Tenth Drink Free- Chapter 4- Exclamation Point (!)

It's been a while, huh. Burnout and fatigue are the evil twins keeping me from doing the things I like. And yet I stand before you, cupping this chapter in weary hands after laboring over this like a 10 pound baby. I birthed this chapter. And I will birth another. Specifically six more. Lots of emotional turmoil in this one too. Not as much as last time though!!! Dew's getting better!!!

WC: 3923

Warnings: Smoking, addiction, medical emergencies

Read below or on ao3!

Taglist: @skele-bunny @rain-loves-scallops @dewphomet @0-miles-away

It takes three days for Dew to recover.

The first day is spent in bed with a heating pad and snacks that he convinced Rain to deliver to his room. He plays video games, re-strings his guitar, practices for a few hours, and orders takeout for dinner. He and Rain eat together- a rare occurrence for them.

“Okay. New Vegas.” Rain prompts, spearing a shrimp on his fork. “How do you like it?”

“It’s fun. I made my character gay. Didn’t know that was an option.” Dew picks at his ravioli. “I left off at that factory with all the ghouls.”

“Ah, yeah.” Rain nods. “The flamethrower’s pretty effective on the feral ones.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Dew scours his brain for conversation topics- what did people talk about over dinner? He flips through his options and settles on one.

“Uh- how’s class going?” Dew asks after a brief pause in the conversation. Rain heaves a dramatic sigh.

“Hard… Midterms just passed so we get a quick reprieve but I’ve got chem tomorrow and the teacher always gives so much homework…” Rain sighs again. “I don’t even need to know about chemistry. I’m studying fucking software engineering. What am I gonna do, test the pH of a chunk of code?”

Dew smiles slightly and sits back in his chair. He lets Rain complain until he runs out of steam.

After dinner the two of them put on a documentary on octopi (or octopodes, as the narrator makes clear). Rain taps away on his laptop and Dew plays with a fidget toy stolen from Rain.

It’s a nice evening, even with his cramps. Dew dozes off sometime in the middle of the documentary and wakes up draped in a blanket. He wanders back to his room and falls back asleep.

The second day is mostly the same, except for a setting change to the couch. Dew mopes around, naps, complains loudly about his cramps, and watches trashy reality tv. He has to admit, he feels a little better.

The nicotine cravings hit hard around 2 in the afternoon so he drags himself off the couch and trudges outside in his warmest hoodie.

Dew makes his way down the stairs and around to the back of the building. His lighter clicks uselessly as he thumbs the flint wheel.

“Come on…” He mutters around his unlit cig. A weak flame finally flickers to life and he shields it with his hand as he brings it up to his mouth.

The first drag almost makes him groan with relief. He pockets his lighter and leans back against the wall, his eyes closed.

“Fuck…” Dew mumbles, smoke streaming from his lips and nose. A wad of emotions builds in his throat and he takes a shaky breath. “Fuck…”

A rustling sound nearby pulls him from his spiral of self-loathing. Dew jumps and looks over at the source of the noise.

A fat raccoon ambles out from behind a dumpster, making its way toward a fast food bag on the other side of the alley. Dew watches it pull apart the soggy paper with its little hands and rummage through the trash inside. It finds a lone fry inside and sits up to cram it into its mouth.

Dew reaches slowly into the pocket of his sweats for his phone, only to find he’d left it in his room. He lets out a huff of frustration out of his nose and takes another drag. The raccoon tears open the bag further and finds more food. It shoves its head inside, pushing the bag across the ground.

Dew lets out a little snort of amusement. He doesn’t think he’s ever been this close to a raccoon before. The little bastards are a nuisance, but at least they’re cute.

The raccoon pulls itself out of the bag with a small ice cream cup clutched in its paws. It gleefully laps at the remnants inside. Dew leans back against the wall to watch.

The raccoon removes its head from the cup. Melted ice cream is smeared on the top of its ears. It shakes its head and goes back to rummaging in the bag.

Dew watches the creature until it wanders off around the corner. He raises his cig to his mouth only to realize it’s burned down to the filter in the time he’s been watching the raccoon.

He sighs, stubs it out on the wall, and tosses it into the dumpster. He’s running low and doesn’t feel like lighting up another. The few puffs he’s taken will have to do for now.

It’d be cheaper to quit, his brain offers. $9 a pack, a pack and a half a week, that’s gotta be like $50 a month. 

The voice has a point, as much as Dew hates to think it. Money is already tight. He contemplates this as he climbs the stairs back up to the apartment.

The third day is better. Dew decides to attempt some self-care. Real self-care, not just lazily jerking off and falling asleep.

So he follows the advice of some blog post he found. He gets his favorite snacks from the convenience store, puts his phone on do not disturb, steals borrows one of Rain’s face masks, and draws a bath.

As it turns out, Dew is NOT a bath person. The tub is too small for him to submerge and stretch out comfortably and he can’t find a position that doesn’t make his tailbone hurt. He lasts ten minutes before he drags himself out of the tub and dries off. The face mask is starting to feel weird on his face so he peels it off with a grimace.

Plan B, then. Dew makes a nest of pillows and plushies on his bed and settles in with snacks and a tv show he’d been meaning to watch. It’s cozy.

He doesn’t know when he falls asleep, but when he wakes up it’s dark outside. Wind blows past his window and makes the trees rustle.

“Ouuuuughhh…” Dew groans and stretches. It’s a good stretch, one that leaves him relaxed and feeling like jello for a minute. He closes his eyes and contemplates going back to sleep. He’ll get up in a minute.

He didn’t mean to actually fall back asleep but when he opens his eyes again it’s much darker outside. Oops.

To his surprise, when he gets up he feels better. Not at 100%, but definitely better. Enough to cook something for dinner instead of heating up instant food.

Dinner ends up being scrambled eggs and toast loaded with peanut butter and cinnamon sugar, not bad for a midnight snack. He even washes the dishes afterwards before stepping out for a smoke.

He lights up but hesitates before he brings it to his lips. I should quit.

The itch in the back of his mind grows stronger as he stares at the glowing tip. Dew takes a drag and grits his teeth, blowing the smoke out of his nose like a dragon. He hates being dependent on anything.

He tosses the cigarette on the ground and steps on it before he can overthink it. He twists his boot, splitting the paper wrapping and grinding the tobacco into the dirty pavement.

Regret washes over him. I can’t do this. He reaches for his pack again, fumbles out another cig, and flicks his lighter. The little device clicks uselessly, mockingly even. The empty tank stares back at him. Dew throws it against the wall with a frustrated growl. He stomps on that too.

He takes a few steps back toward the stairs before he pauses, thinking of the raccoon. He backs up, scoops the lighter shards into his hand, and drops them in the dumpster. I’d hate for the little guy to get hurt. 

Dew wakes up feeling… refreshed, he realizes. It’s an unfamiliar feeling. His eyes don’t feel dry and tired for once. He still feels that ever-present tightness in his shoulders and neck though and the itch in his spine. Better than nothing.

He lazes around in bed until he has to piss. His cramps are less painful today, thankfully.

He shoots a text to Cirrus while on the toilet-

—

Dew: i’m feeling better do you have a spot for me?

—

He changes his pad and brushes his hair and teeth while he waits for the reply. 

—

Boss lady 2: How much sleep did you get?

Dew: what are you, a cop?

Boss lady 2: Answer the question

—

Dew glances at the time- 11 AM- and resigns himself to some basic math. Damn, it’s been a while since high school…

—

Dew: 9 hours

Dew: just woke up

Boss lady 2: Can you come in @ 1? Got a 4 hour shift for you

Dew: Yep

Dew: See you then

—

He eyes the shower and ultimately decides to blast his scalp with dry shampoo instead. The wet box can wait. He throws his hair in a braid and calls it good.

Dew’s breakfast consists of two cheese sticks and a Coke. He leaves a note for Rain requesting a grocery run soon and gets dressed. He forgoes eyeliner today and packs his backpack.

He steps out for a smoke out of habit. He’s halfway down the stairs when he hears a rattling from the alley. Two raccoons emerge from an overturned trash can. Dew remembers his broken lighter. He sighs and looks at his nearly-empty pack.

”Fine.” He mutters, pointing at the creatures below. “You win for now.”

The raccoons don’t seem to care, instead preoccupied by hissing at each other over a chicken bone. Dew trudges up the stairs back to the apartment.

That doesn’t take away the cravings but it gives him reason to ignore them. Why he cares so much about a few critters in the alley he doesn’t know.

He sees the bastards again when he starts walking to work. He gives them a little wave.

”Good to see you, hun.” Cumulus greets him when he walks into the kitchen. “You mind working the ovens and sink today?”

”Not at all.” Dew is relieved that he won’t be subjected to customer service today.

”Thanks. There’s a batch of bagels cooling, could you take them out to the counter when the muffins come out of the oven?” She asks, plopping a bowl of dough out onto the countertop.

”Yes ma’am.” Dew gives her a two-finger salute, which she returns.

He’s happy to get back into the routine of scrubbing pans and moving baked goods around the kitchen. He puts in his earbuds and zones out. He even forgets his cravings for a bit.

He learns from Sunny- looking under the weather but still gleeful- that Aether is here. He brushes her off but that doesn’t stop him from idling behind the counter as he restocks the bagels. He sneaks a glance at Aether- god, he’s gorgeous- and tucks the empty tray against his hip to bring back to the kitchen. He tries to sidestep Aeon at the register but they grab his arm.

“Hey…” Aeon mumbles. They look pale, their fingertips deathly cold against Dew’s skin. “Need…”

Then their eyes flutter closed and they fall forward. Dew yelps and drops his tray to catch them, lowering them to the floor carefully. The metal tray clatters to the linoleum, drawing startled eyes from the cafe’s patrons.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” Dew mutters. A worried murmur spreads through the shop as people crane their necks over the counter to investigate. 

Cumulus pokes her head out of the kitchen and gasps. “What happened?”

“I don’t know!” Dew replies a bit louder than he’d meant to. “They just- passed out, I think…” He looks down at Aeon, who thankfully seems to be stirring.

“Let me through!” Aether’s voice rings out over the worried chatter and Dew looks up just in time to see him vault over the counter. He immediately zeroes in on Aeon and kneels next to them. “Did he hit his head?”

Dew takes a moment to realize Aether is talking to him. “No- they fell on me first and I lowered them down.”

“Good. Get some water and something sugary.” Aether tells him. Dew nods and scurries into the kitchen.

When he returns with Aeon’s water bottle and a sucker from Cumulus’s candy stash, Aeon is sitting up against the wall with their eyes closed. Dew awkwardly holds out the water bottle and Aether takes it with a grateful nod.

“Are they okay?” Dew asks cautiously. Aether nods again.

“For now, yeah. I definitely recommend they go to the ER or at least urgent care to get checked out fully. I can only do so much right now.” Aether steadies Aeon’s hands to help them drink.

“I w-wanna go hom-me.” Aeon mumbles. “I’ll be okay, this just hap-pens sometimes-s.”

“How often?” Aether asks, his brow furrowing a little bit more. “If this is a frequent thing, you definitely need to see a doctor.”

“M fine.” Aeon snaps and immediately shrinks back into themself. “S-sorry. I gotta f-finish my shift.”

“Uh-uh.” Cumulus shakes her head, her fluffy ponytail bouncing. “I’ll pay you for the rest of your shift, hun. You go get checked out.”

“I don’t w-wanna.” Aeon mumbles. “I can’t- don’t-nt make me go. Ple-ase.”

Dew recognizes the look in their eyes. The fear of a cornered animal. He sits down next to them.

“Aeon.” He whispers softly so only they can hear. “If you don’t go talk to a doctor about this, it’ll only get worse. I care about you.”

“It’s-s expensive.” Aeon whispers back. “A-and it sm-mells weird a-and there are n-no wind-w-winds-“ They grit their teeth. “Win-dows. And the nurses m-make fun of my-y stutt-ter.”

“I’ll come with you.” Dew decides on the spot. “I’ll say I’m your brother or something so they’ll let me stay with you.”

“You promise?” Aeon asks. “How’re w-we gonna get the-there?”

“I’ll drive you.” Aether offers. “I don’t have anything to do today. May as well help you out.”

Aeon side-eyes Aether before their eyes flick back to Dew. “You’ll stay?”

“Promise.” Dew nods. “I’ll get your backpack.”

“I’ll be out front when you two are ready.” Aether stands up, giving Dew a chance to glance at his thighs. Damn. “Be careful standing up.”

Dew scampers into the back and retrieves Aeon’s purple backpack. Aeon takes it gratefully, digs through it for a minute, and produces a small plush bat.

“Ready-y.” They clutch the bat to their chest and grab Dew’s hand. With only a bit of struggling, they’re standing.

The walk to the car is mercifully quick, with Aeon hiding their face in Dew’s shoulder to avoid stares. Sure enough, Aether’s car is idling outside- a nondescript gray SUV. Dew pops the back door and helps Aeon inside, then tosses in their backpack and climbs in next to them.

Aether glances at them in the rearview mirror. “The hospital I work at is about fifteen minutes away. There’s probably a bag back there if you need to hurl.”

“Thanks.” Aeon replies weakly and pulls their knees up to their chest after buckling in. They rest their chin on their bat and stare out the window as Aether pulls into the street. 

Dew tips his head back against the seat and sighs through his nose. He realizes he’s left his own backpack at Cloudy Skies and grinds his teeth. He just hopes they’ll get out of the ER by closing time. He has his phone and wallet in his pockets. No keys, no jacket, no cigs. In a stranger’s car, taking his friend to the ER. He just wishes he’d brought his earbuds.

Quiet rock music drifts from Aether’s car speaker. Dew wants to ask about his music taste but it doesn’t seem like an appropriate time. It sounds like pop punk, a song Dew hasn’t heard.

He takes the time to look around Aether’s car while they’re driving. There’s a guitar-shaped air freshener and a motel-style  keychain hanging from the rearview. A few rubber ducks sit on the dashboard and Dew can spot some textbooks on the passenger seat with Aether’s bag. The car smells faintly of vanilla and lemon.

Dew reaches over the middle seat and offers Aeon his hand. They take it and squeeze hard.

Check-in is quick with Aether’s help. They’re given a wait time of an hour and pointed to the waiting room. Dew lets himself hope that the visit will be quick. This turns out to be a grave miscalculation.

Dew shifts in his chair for the umpteenth time and looks at his phone again. The ER’s waiting room is fairly empty but they’ve been waiting for almost three hours. Aeon is curled up on the seat of a wide chair, presumably trying to nap.

Aether is on Dew’s other side reading a book. From what Dew’s been able to peek at, it seems like some kind of supernatural thriller. Dew doesn’t read much but he stores the title of the book away in his brain for safekeeping. Maybe he can turn it into a conversation if he works up the courage.

By the grace of some merciful deity, Aeon’s name is called. They unfold themself from the chair and clutch their bat to their chest.

“Want me to come with?” Dew asks. Aeon nods. Dew stands, stretches his legs, and slings their bag over his shoulder. A tired-looking nurse guides the two of them to an exam room and leaves them with an assurance that a doctor will be in soon.

“I don’t like-ike it here,” Aeon mumbles. They pull their knees up to their chest and stare at the wall through a curtain of shaggy bangs.

“Me neither.” Dew sighs. He stretches out his legs and sighs again. The fluorescent lights hum above them like a swarm of flies.

It takes too long for another nurse to show up, then a doctor, then a swarm of nurses taking blood and hooking Aeon up to some kind of machine. Dew holds their hand and tries his best to not zone out entirely.

Finally, Aeon is discharged with a stack of papers, a referral to a heart specialist, and an equally exhausted Dew.

“Home.” Aeon signs, chewing on the wing of their bat. Dew sighs and nods.

“Yeah. Let’s go home. Aether said he’d wait for us but I can call an Uber if he left already.” Dew pulls out his phone and checks the time. Six hours since they’d walked into the ER. It feels like double that.

“Mmm!” Aeon mumbles, pointing to Dew’s left. Dew is relieved to see Aether hurrying toward them.

“How’re you two holding up?” Aether asks, his brow furrowed adorably.

“Tired.” Dew replies at the same time that Aeon signs, “Like shit.”

“Hungry?” Aether asks. “I can stop for food if you want.”

Dew is hungry, but he looks to Aeon for an answer. They shake their head no.

“Alright.” Aether twirls his keys around his finger. “Let’s go.”

Aeon and Dew climb into the backseat again. Aeon curls up with their bat, clutching the discharge papers with their free hand. Dew stares out the window absently.

He snaps out of it when Aeon nudges his arm. “Hm? Oh-“ He opens the door and slips out to let Aeon out onto the sidewalk. He waves goodbye and watches Aeon disappear into their apartment building. He hopes they’ll be okay.

“You alright?” Aether asks once he gets back in. Dew looks up to see him looking at him through the rearview mirror.

“Yeah.” Dew’s jaw aches from how he’s been grinding his teeth. I need a smoke.

“Okay.” Aether doesn’t sound convinced. “Are you hungry?” he asks, meeting Dew’s eyes in the rearview mirror. Dew hesitates.

“I don’t have money.” He semi-mumbles, glancing away. He hates letting people know that he’s broke. They always look at him in a pitying, condescending way. It makes him sick. 

“You can’t eat money.” Aether taps on the steering wheel with his fingertips. “It’s on me.”

“You don’t have to. You’ve done enough to help me and Aeon today.” Dew crosses his arms and stares down Aether in the mirror.

“Alright.” Aether shrugs, puts the car in gear, and pulls out into the street. “Where should I drop you?”

“Back at Cloudy Skies. I left my backpack there.” Dew uncrosses his arms, pleased that he’d won. “...I appreciate the offer, though.”

“Don’t mention it.” Aether makes a dismissive gesture like shooing away a fly with two fingers. Dew turns his attention back to his phone. It’s almost dead, so he texts the work chat an update and asks to be let into the building.

Cirrus meets him at the back door with his backpack. “Take care, Dew.”

”I will.” He promises. He means it this time.

Dew waves goodbye to Cirrus and drags his weary feet in the direction of home.

“Extra shift?” Rain asks when Dew kicks the front door open. He heaves a tired sigh and shakes his head. Rain is fully occupying the kitchen table with some sort of project involving some kind of helmet, wires, a soldering iron, and various other mechanical bits.

“Aeon fainted. I took ‘em to the ER.” Dew grunts. He tries to untie his boots with freezing fingers. “Ow- fuck-”

“Did you walk them there?” Rain raises a thin eyebrow over his safety glasses. Dew shakes his head and finally gets his boot off.

“Aether- hot guy- drove us.” He picks at the laces of his other boot now. “Drove us back too.”

Rain’s other eyebrow joins the first near his hairline. “You and Aeon got into his car without even knowing him?”

“He’s in nursing school. And he’s really nice. He offered to buy me food.” Dew wriggles his foot out of his remaining boot. “I think you listen to too many true crime podcasts.”

“I’m not paranoid, I’m cautiously aware.” Rain adjusts something with tweezers. “Never go to a second location”

“You are paranoid.” Dew huffs. He plops his backpack down by his boots. “Whatcha working on?”

“Rigging up this LED mask for a friend.” Rain holds up the mask as Dew gets closer to show the inside, covered in a grid of tiny lights. “I’m attaching a little computer so I can program different patterns into it.”

Dew gently takes the mask. From the outside it looks like smooth, black plastic that covers the wearer’s face. “Cool.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty proud of it.” Rain grins. There’s something slightly off about his expression. He’s hiding something. Dew decides it’s not worth poking his nose into.

He microwaves a cup of ramen and retreats to his room with it. As soon as he sits down in his desk chair his body reminds him of just how exhausted he is. He sets his dinner on the desk and lets himself go limp with a groan. This results in him oozing out of his chair like a bag of wet meat. Ugh. 

After a minute of laying on the floor, his hunger overpowers his fatigue and Dew is forced to drag himself back up into the chair. The noodles are gone in what seems like seconds.

He yawns and automatically reaches for his cigarettes. Then pauses. He’s tired enough to sleep through the cravings tonight. He can have one in the morning, he promises himself.

Dew buries the cigs in the back of his drawer with the journal pages and crawls into bed. He’s asleep as soon as his eyes close.

(comments and kudos keep me going)

(tip jar)

[red-ruth]

Ruth’s Personal Analysis of the 2025 Motogp Season (And whether Marc can break his own win streak)

Literally just my predictions per weekend, except I make everything about Marc because um, look at me

British Grand Prix Idk I feel like something left field could happen (tho no quite left field as France) I believe in a Marc win but I also believe in a Marc podium and potentially even a Pecco win or someone else. Unsure about Alex, it’s not a bad circuit for him but not an amazing one. Probably a podium.

Aragon Grand Prix Marc sweep lol, what do you expect? Italian Grand Prix (Mugello) Not an amazing circuit for Marc, one of Pecco's best. Maybe starting to see more improvement/rideabilty of the GP25 following the test in Aragon so I fear this is Pecco's playground. Alternatively, Italian Rossi fanboys make Marc see red and he goes a killing spree.

Dutch TT (Assen) Ik Pecco's good around here, I just feel like it's a Marc win. Cause if he doesn't win in Silverstone or Mugello, From Qatar onwords his only win would be Aragon which kinda doesn't count, I feel like he just locks tf in. And, this is also where I see the possibility of a win streak arising. German Grand Prix (Sachsenring) Again, Marc's locked in. No mistakes like last year. Also sorry yall but I feel like around this time is when a combination of GP25 development and a return from Jorge Martin could start taking a chunk out of Alex's championship tally (Call it delusion but I still feel like he can be competitive on the aprilia). However, right now Marc's gap to Pecco is 50 points, over half a season's worth more of this and that gap will be embarrassing. If Pecco manages a championship second place, the margin to Marc will be significant I fear. Czech Republic Grand Prix (Brno) No one's raced there other than Marc for a while he's won four times, three of those in Motogp. So yea, again, Marc win. Hungarian Grand Prix New track, level playing field, again Marc's probably the favourite. Also it's a left handed track so like..... Austrian Grand Prix Could be a curve ball. Ducati does well by default, again, I believe in Marc but it's not like it's an amazing track for him, he managed a fourth last year so I feel that that could realistically translate into a win. Catalunya Grand Prix Managed podiums last year, (for both weekends) so yeah I'm a believer. Pecco would be a contender though. San Marino Grand Prix (Misano) Won last year (even if it was because of rain), but he had the pace last year to do better, he was just haunted by quali demons last year, so he was constantly in come back mode. But obviously, Misano is one of Marc's best circuits he's once again the favourite for the weekend. I feel like Pecco at this point is now steadily Mr P2. Japanese Grand Prix (Motegi) Factory Honda team is gonna get a podium I feel it in my balls okay. Marc basically got Pole last year and could've won so Marc win but yada yada I don't care if I don't see Luca Marini and/or Joan Mir on that fuck ass podium istg Indonesian Grand Prix (Mandalinka) Am I looking you in the face and telling you Marc reaching nine consecutive wins rests on him beating in Indonesian Curse, the same curse that's so strong it nearly blinded him and made his engine literlly commit suicide out of knowhere? Yes, yes I am. Because if there's one thing Marc knows what to do, it's winning when no one is expecting him to. Australian Grand Prix (Philip Island) Jorge was pretty decent here last year so depending on where he's at with the Aprilia and his injuries I do expect him to do decent, especially considiering this is lowkey an Aprilia track. But again, Marc's fav, left hander, he'll probably win. Getting in to the part of the season he could probably win the title. Malaysian Grand Prix (Sepang) And you know what this all lines up to? Marc winning in sepang, could also be winning the title while also besting his best consecutive win streak of 10 races, standing since 2014. Peak comedy. However, Marc is not incredible around sepang, but he was very quick in testing this year. As was Alex though so he could be thrown in the mix. Unsure with Pecco he was in the trenches during testing. Portugal Grand Prix (Portimao) Marc's not raced there much so I can't judge how he goes around there. I also don't know much about the circuit I can't lie. Valencia Grand Prix Likely Marc win and/or podium, obvious benefit of being a left hander. Classic end of season happy race if Marc hasn't wrapped up the title already something's gone seriously wrong, also I'm probably hospitalized.

And actually what hits me, is that the last few races where Marc could win the title all lowkey have significance to him. Japan (Honda connection, he's won titles there before), Indonesia (The Curse) Philip island and/or Sepang (Especially Sepang jesus fuck, self explanatory) and then Portugal/Valencia (Spanish fans) I knowwwwww Portugal is obviously Portugal, but the spanish will claw tooth and nail to get there if Marc could win the title. Literally wild, catch me bawling, potentially may actually go to Philip Island, if he wins the title there I will never be the same

[cobraonthecob]

Charles isn't linked to Italian right wing parties. Once a right wing politician claimed him and Ferrari as symbols of true "Italianess" (fascist rethoric) and he started liking tweets left and right about not being and not wanting to be associated with that man and that party.

Also in Monza 2023 when the fascist Italian prime minister was at the gp in the Ferrari box, Charles suddenly disappeared and returned only when she was gone. But when in 2022 the Italian President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella (one of the most important constitutional experts in Italy and the only person with dignity in the Italian positions of power) was in the Ferrari box Charles was there and they talked a lot.

He also used to follow pro-Palestine accounts before the war on October 7th, but Ferrari imposed on him to be neutral about everything. Also the hanging out with Noah Snapps was way before he started acting like a crazy zionist. The fact that these things happened is a shame, but that doesn't make him a zionist.

But Charles doesn't have a liking for right win parties in Italy, this is just not correct.

damn, charles doing something right for once lol (wrt to trying to distance himself from the right wing italian parties and also not sticking around to talk to italy's prime minister). not an attack to you, but i'm having a hard time finding who even said that unless it's like. a deleted tweet, but if someone's got screenshots or a news article about it, i'm all ears

also, lol @ being monegasque and someone trying to claim him as italian. i'm wheezing way too damn hard. monaco watch your back (or should i say harbor?), italy might try to add you to the country

i don't think charles is a zionist or pro-palestinian (i definitely remember him following either eye on palestine or some other related accounts, and then he suddenly unfollowed them), but he hasn't said anything about wanting to distance himself from noah at the very least, so i'll just put the 'silenced by ferrari and fia, his views could go either way'. for me, it's got to be all or nothing, and right now, a white man with a huge following is not passing the litmus test of doing the bare minimum (not be zionist)

what also tickles my brain though is that he has a massive following and a big chunk of the fandom likes charles in some way, so why not use his influence? lewis expressed support for palestine, and should not be the only f1 driver to do so (the al-qubaisi sisters have put in their stories support for palestine). and it's not like charles would be shown the door; the tifosi love him and would probably raze the ferrari factory to the ground if ferrari threw him out for that, and let's pretend that the tifosi don't exist - why would ferrari throw out someone who can challenge for WDC? why would ferrari throw someone who lives and breathes ferrari, who stays with this clown circus of a team despite all the shit he goes through, just to fulfill a childhood dream?

anyways, there's a lot of nuance to be held here that i'm probably not hitting and i should really be going to bed, but thank you very much (genuine) for bringing new info to the table. charles is off the hook for now in my book lol, but he'll just be a driver that's in my 'oh nice. he's there. he scores points when there isn't a mechanical issue'

also we really should not be allowing politicians at f1 races, cota was something lol (in that i yelled at me tv for daring to show me abbott. i did not consent to seeing that on a lovely sunday afternoon). just bring the fia's governing body or some celebrity, the politicians can watch at home like the majority of us.

[keefiswhoiam]

September 08 - 2024 Sunday

10:58pm

5.5/10

The first chunk of today was a blur, as usual I took a long time cooking breakfast and I wasn't sure how to start my day. Part of me wanted to spend a lot of time in Cities Skylines but I didn't get around to that. I couldn't even watch my shows because the internet was bad. I kinda messed around and did nothing until JD was free to hang out. We played Planetary Annihilation for a good while. We started off against 2 "bronze" AIs which absolutely swamped us. It was pathetic. Then we fought each other but using only bot factories and I totally smoked him. He got a little frustrated though so I felt a little bad. Although I also feel good because of how he was always the winner when we were kids, especially when it came to RTS games. We hopped on VRchat for a little after that so he could show me this world he found. I didn't think it was very good tbh, especially with the world size but he thought it was cozy. At this point I was feeling the need to talk a little deeper so I asked him how he was. We talked about whats been stressing each other out a bit and that helped. I think he got a lot of benefit out of that, more than me today. Right now and the past couple days I've been feeling strong, like I've been staying true to myself well, making plans, and sticking to decisions. My big focus has been on making sure I'm being myself. I think thats the only requirement I need to have friends or be loved. Also if I keep sacrificing who I am too much for others, I will not be able to take it anymore. I'm forced to respect myself lest I snap.

I was peaking at mods and stuff for PA when DS let me know she was free. We watched some youtube, took a practice drivers test, and then she bought Hades so she could stream it. We moved to my server for that. It was a lot of fun, it was more pleasant to watch than I thought it would be. I knew I'd have fun either way but I really got into it. Unfortunately someone annoying joined for awhile but he did leave eventually. He was backseating and doing that thing where he talks to his pets out loud WAY too much without anyone having any context for what he's doing. DS and I would be trying to listen to the dialogue but he'd be yapping to his dog. In bed we did classic puzzles. I felt like I shared a good sentiment to DS tonight which is not caring or giving into people that might think something about you. Its really toxic behavior I've learned and I hope that sometimes I can help quell that kind of thing because I don't like to see her or anyone else I care about losing themselves to others. I think I'm right with this new emphasis on being myself and I want to spread that to others. True connection happens between 2 entities that identify each other as separate beings. And we can only do that when we act like our own being knowing we will be accepted for it. Either entity bending to the will of the other creates an unbalanced dynamic which often results in harm.

I think a lot like a sleep schedule is the foundation of all scheduling, being yourself is the foundation of many things as well. It's a core requirement to pursue anything higher effectively.

Lately being myself includes accepting how I feel and loving strongly. It also includes making the tough decision to enforce more boundaries and take care of myself in an attempt to be more effective at contributing to my environment in the ways I choose to. Thats whay I want, to be a well functioning individual that helps improve areas I personally think need it. I also want to help my loved ones and let them know that I love them very deeply. It's something I was a little ashamed to admit because my behavior has often been pointed out to be problematic or undesirable. Over time I've taken to believe that my form of "love" is unwelcome so I cannot experience it anymore. I'm not allowed. But I am. Maybe I have made mistakes in the past but they do not bar me from experiencing a basic human need and trying to do it right. I love. I love a lot. I refuse to hide it.

[nityarawal]

8/17/23

Court PTSD;

Tax The Junk

Happy By The Waterfall

Another Day Of Freedom

Twitter Has Turned

Into Hell

Court Contentious

The Elon Show

Memes Teasing Us

20% Moms 

Crying

For Our Kids

Eliza

Disappeared

Mysteriously

Should We Be Afraid

To Ask For Elon's 

Help

So Demonized

A Terminator 

Just Changed

Our Name To "X"

Shootin' Rockets

Won't Acknowledge

"O"

Should We Be

Grateful For

Overpromises

Like All The Politicians 

Show

6 Years 

Of Germ Warfare

7 Years

Of Divorce Courts

You Got Your AI

"Prototype" X

To Rebuild As

Many Barbie

Nitya Britney

Dolls

You Got My DNA

They Stuffed Covid

Tests

Up My Nose Weekly

For Reality Winner

You Got Your

Prototype

15 Free Cyber Truck 

Commercials

I Was Sold 

For Collateral 

On The Black Market

In Detention

They Planted A Cyst

Showed Me

Aften Bearman's

Brain Cancer

Regrowth

I Sang Her To Sleep

With

Om Namah Shivayas

She Said Putin

Was Her Husband

Ended Up Being

Raped By Officers

Back Teeth 

Knocked Out

Bleeding With Ejaculation

And Spermicide

From Gay Officers 

Ass

Another Day 

A Cop Beat

Her Bloody

Blue

At Court

For A PD

Without A License

My Mulatto

Pregnant Bunky

Most Beautiful Avatar Being

PhD in Law

In The Riverside

Detention Zoo

Did They Kill Her

What Happened 

To Her Baby

And 3 Kids

She Hoped 

And Prayed

With Faith

Her Mother And

Daughter Would

Be There For Her

In Her Final Days

But We Passed

Each Other In

Chains

At 4:30am

Hungry

On The Way To

Court

Last Time

I Helped Her

Hair Grow Back

If Only I Could

Of Done That

For Sinead & Britney

Sooner In Hindsight

I Sang Her To Sleep

Om Namah Shivaya

Chandra Told Me

All The Nature Elements

Earth's Properties

If I'm Gonna Be

Your Free Slave

I'll Sing Our Country

To Peace

On Video

And We'll Testify

I'll Sing The Muses

And Dr's Back

Into Court 

Did It Once

Only Problem

Presiding Judge Clark Now

On Attorney Bribes

What Does She

Earn

Is It Like Judge

Sawbraw's Transvestite 

Factories

At The Border

We Know You Be

Recruiting

Barbie For Fun

But Once You

Done A Trans

Dolly

Fettish Gets In

Don't Want Your

Bottoms 

Bugs

In My Courts

Got So Many

Trans Officers

Wanna Hear 

The Travesty

And Trajectory

Sir

Chop Your Junk

Offer The Goods

Like Sushi Hurt

Never To Fish

Again Sir

Chop The Junk

You Might Buy

Kanye West

Or Maui

Seaside Property

With Foul Brokers

You Think

Chop The Junk

It's Not My Thing

Sir

An Elective Surgery

On Obama Care

Tax Dollars

Tax The Junk

Elon's Son/ Daughter

Heshe Vivian Musk

And The Hookers

Who Groomed

Her

Tax The Junk

Tax 'Ye's Conservatorship

We Felt He Was A

Mommy Lover

Donda His True

Color

Tax The Junk

Bruce Jenner

Heshe Caitlin

Tax The Junk

Don't Care How Pretty

Those Persian Cats

Are In Elvin Prison

Tax The Junk

Tax Tmobile

Tax Latinos Who

Can't Fix Voice-mail

For A Custody

Battle

Tax The Junk

Tax Airbnb Gags

In Federal Government

Tax The Junk

Sheriff Bianco

For Being A F'ing

Coroner

Tax The Junk

Tax Advanced

Dermatology

IEHP Gays

No Don't Take A

Chunk Of My Nose

Instead Tax The Junk

The Covid Test Probes

Tax The Junk

The Manorexic DAs

Tax The Junk

The Sex Offenders

Tax The Junk

Epstein Business

Gag Orders Appeared

To Have Gotten

In The Way

Take The Junk

$300 Billion To #FreeBritney

Tax The Junk

The El Salvidorians

Harem Servicing

My Old Broker

Shane Stewart

Tax The Junk

The IRS Biggots

The Faggots

Who Stole USA

And Our Children

As Brands

Tax The Junk

I'm Tellin' Ya Maui

Tax The Junk

Dr. Oz

Wasn't Meant To

Be A Magician

In A Conservatorship

Like Robin Williams

Tax The Junk

Poly #Kfed TMZ

Canadian

Commonwealth Scammers

Tax The Junk

#PrinceOfPegging 

Journalists

On Bribes

Tax The Junk

No More Rockets

How Dare You

Shoot Off Another

Bribed Piece Of

Warfare Here

In The United 

States Nasa

For Oily Blood Money

How Dare You 

Shoot Off

Another Piece Of

Warfare In Ukraine

And Charge Our

Journalists

200 Million

Hacked

By The Littlest

Clark Relative

Running The Dr's

And Attys

Nazi Crimes

Spreading Lymes

Get Yourself Pine Resin

Get Turpentine

Get Your Turps Up

And Get Them

Nano Particles

Out Infecting

Judges Murderin'

Wives

Get Them Heavy

Metals Out

Of Your Brain

If

Can Still Think

Britney Likes

Turning Tricks

For Federal Government

On Twitter

Really 

You Think

Facebook

Microsoft Court

Bribes

Anne Heche

Didn't Like Being

Murdered on Fentanyl

For Atty Broker

Bribes

And I Didn't

Like Getting Hung

Up On By Millions 

Of Courts

Robbed Of Everything 

I Didn't Like It

Dykes Of Defense

What You Did

Fingerin' Me

Take It Back

Elon Will Pay

Tally It Up

I'm Singin' Us 

A Happy Ending

Camping Now

Cleaning Homes

For Showers

And Lexus Lemon Laws 

Stalls

Mechanics

But Need My Homes

Sick

It's Boring As "F"

And I'd Add

3 0's To Damages

For Holocaust 

World War 3

No More Pao

Needed From Maui

Dragons Came And Burnt

Everything

Peace

Mahalo

Mojomana

Luna

Sisters Divine

(SUNG TO MORENGA)

Mahalo- Pau- Peace

Nitya Nella Davigo Azam Moezzi Huntley Rawal 

[harveywritings92]

Late Teen! Damian Wayne x P.I. Reader pt 1

You were very average looking, Making a living as a assistant P.I. living in a low end, but fairly safe part of Gotham but being New to Gotham you should know nowhere is really safe, Especially at night! Which is how you became associated with the man you would eventually fall in love with, Robin aka: Damian Wayne. And from there Pandora's box opens.

Damian & Y/n age: 17-19 years old.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

'I'm too lazy to buy my own shopping do it for me! (yes went you grocery shopping for them.) or My child is hanging out with a bad crowd and doing drugs I know it, follow them! (Spoiler alert, the "Bad crowd" was a D&D guild, you never saw someone turn that red.) Normally you would've told those people to kick rocks, But... Money is money and since your boss's disappearance you needed every cent you could get just to keep a roof over your head.

You were two blocks away from home when you saw something green in your peripherals, you turned your head fully and saw it was boot sticking out from behind a dumpster, Curious you went to check if someone needed help, You nearly crapped yourself when you found Robin knocked out and bleeding over some trash bags! You fiddled around for your phone... Than You realized that sending a highly sought after vigilante to the hospital was bad idea. 

But, You couldn't just leave him out here! Going against your better judgement you carefully managed to pull Robin on to you back, nearly stumbling as he was fricking heavy, that suit of his was no joke! It'll probably shave twenty ponds off him if he wasn't wearing it! 

Cut to you getting Robing into the Gideon Wright detective agency without being seen and deposited the unconscious young adult on the couch before taking a few minutes to catch your breath. "Jeezus, I don't think I've lifted that much weight since boss made me take that physical strength test." Damn you were gonna be sore tomorrow! but maybe not as much as Robin... With a tired sigh you got to work finding the first-aid kit.

You managed to removed Robin's cape and chest armor and lifted his shirt to check his bleeding side, pausing briefly not admiring his abs (yes you were.) to stare at the scars littering his olive skin. *Damn, he must've through hell to get those...* you thought going back to his wound... It wasn't to bad. looks like his armor absorbed most of... well, whatever had cut him, You quickly cleaned the injured area up and bandaged Robin up.

Taking note of the large bruise on his back... Shaped like a metal bar. "He was getting away from someone and probably jumped on one of those rusty fire escapes on the old shoe factory... You deduced now thinking back, you do remember seeing chunks of an old scaffolding littered around the boy wonder when you found him... But were too focused on getting him to safety to care at the moment.

Well hopefully when he wakes up, Robin can help fill in the blanks on what he was doing before ending up on one of your couches, You yawned feeling exhausted and saw it was getting to midnight, you put blanket over Robin and quickly got changed into your Pjs and made up the futon couch opposite of the young vigilante, and passed out almost immediately your head hit the pillow.

At around five am Y/n was woken up by the feeling of someone glaring at her and hushed whispers her y/ec eyes opened tried to adjust to darkness, and was greeted by Red-Hood standing a mere inches from her face, Y/n did what any girl would do if a strange man was in her room, scream and punch him as hard as she could!

 Apparently Y/n had a good swing cos she managed to make Red-Hood's helmet spin as she was staring as the back of his helmet, while a pissed off Robin snapped. "Dammit Todd, I said leave her be!" Y/n looked over the anti-hero's shoulder to see an angry Robin readjusting his cape, while Red turned his helmet back to it's original position. "Aw c'mon Gremlin, I just wanna see who was crazy enough to save you." Red teased the younger male let out annoyed growl.

"She didn't save me!"

"Right... she just found you knocked out in an ally, and fixed you up for kicks."

"Tt"

"What's your name girly?"

You blinked still trying to process what was happening. "uh...Y/n?"  Red-hood hummed. "Well Y/n, since I know he won't say it, Thanks for  not calling the cops and looking after my brother." Your cheeks felt hot, it's been a while since someone's actually thanked you for something. "Yeah... Well, I Figured Robin would want to keep his unmasked dignity." You say with a tired smirk, however the good mood was brought down by Robin huffing at Red-hood to get a move on, They've already overstayed their welcome! and while muttering.

"aimra'at muzeija (Annoying woman.)" which you answered back with. "nafs alshay' lak ya fataa altuyuri! (Same to you bird boy!)" Robin looked thrown off guard while Red-hood burst out laughing as he climbed out the office window, with one final "Tt" Robin followed after him. "Well so much for answers..." You mumbled plopping back down on your pillow, and the hope of having help with finding what happened your boss.

A few days later.... 

You were investigating a missing persons case a young lady named Maria Thompson asked you to find her father, however from the beginning you had guts that something was completely off about this situation, But a job a job and it paid two thousand bucks, that'll give you this months rent and put actual food in the fridge, all you had left was expired take-out and pickles...

 You tracked Mr. Thompson down to a upscale café you walked in and looked around he hadn't arrived yet, but you had ten minutes before his lunch break and decided to wait you took a seat, not noticing Bruce Wayne's sons sitting a few tables down...

Jason recognized you the second you walked passed the window. "Check it Gremlin, it's your girlfriend." he teased pointing at you as Damian ears went red. "How many times do I hav-" He got cut off by Dick suddenly standing up. "Oh!~ Where?" he looked around Jason pointed at the y/hc girl in the parka and shorts sitting at the counter drinking coffee and watching tv. "Let's say hi to her!" Damian snapped at Dick not to! and to sit back down. "I'm just curious, It'll be fine." The youngest boy tried to stop his brothers but ended up getting dragged by them to greet you.

Dick and Jason sat on either side of you, you hadn't noticed as you were very deep thought. *What am I missing?...* you were brought out by someone clearing their throat, You looked up from your coffee and were greeted by two handsome...Scratch that three handsome guys, you noticed the third one pouting behind the one wearing blue. "Yes?" you asked confused what did they want with you? "Hi there Dick Grayson, My brothers and I noticed you sitting here and thought you needed some company."

You looked up the guy brow arched, did this guy realized how creepy that sounded? Luckily his brother saw this did some damage control. "He means the little pouting one there, thinks yer cute and wants to talk to ya." Y/n watched the pouter's face go red and contort into anger, But at that moment Mr. Thompson came into the café. You stood up and took out a photo on your phone.. just make sure it was him, it was! You got up from your seat looked back at Dick and his brothers.

 "Look you guys seem nice and all, but I'm kind of busy."

"Busy, with what?"

"I'm a P.I., I can't say much about it, but I'm on a case right now."

"A P.I.?... While I happen to be cop maybe I can help, what's the case?"

You looked like you wanted to answer, but you didn't want Thompson slipping away. "A missing persons case." was all you said before heading over to Thompson's table the older man immediately mistook you for a waitress. "I'll have coffee." he mumbled not taking his eyes off the menu. 

"Sorry Mr. Thompson but I'm not a waitress..." He looked up at you bemused. "Oh, I'm sorry is something wrong miss...?" You introduced yourself and explained you were detective working a missing persons case reported in his neighborhood. "A missing person? I haven't heard anything" Thompson paused seeing someone coming up behind you.

"Oh here's my daughter, maybe she might know?" You turned to seeing a blond teenage girl in a pink hoodie jeans walking up to the table, That was definitely not Maria! Maria was older, brunette and dressed very modestly... not to mention Maria is pregnant. 

You tried not to smirk as you realized your gut was right about this case being odd... "Selma dear, this is Y/n she's detective. " Selma looked up from her phone looked at you curiously. "She says there's been a report of a missing person in the neighborhood?" You watched the blonde's brow scrunch up in confusion. "I haven't heard anything about a missing person."

You took a moment to think looking between the father and daughter. "I see...By the way Mr. Thompson do you have any other children." Thompson looked at you oddly he only had one daughter. "Right that's all I wanted to know." You got up to leave but paused remembered a detail. "By the way Mr. Thompson, you might want to contact Ryan-Tech Industries I think your employee account was hacked." Mr. Thompson looked even more lost. "Ryan-tec-" Selma suddenly slammed her hands on the table causing you and her father to look at her stunned.

"Get out..." she hissed at you while her father looked taken aback. "Excuse me?" you said flabbergasted by her sudden shift in personality the teenager started getting more agitated. "I said leave, we have nothing to say to you." she growled Mr. Thompson found his voice as his daughter was trying to pull him up. "Selma what's gotten into-" Selma managed drag her dad away.

"Let's go eat somewhere else daddy!" and like that they were gone and you were left with more questions than answers. "And so plot thickens..." before looking down at you watch, it was time to go meet Maria and give her an update. "Gentlemen." you nodded Dick at and his brothers and left the café, heading back to your office, the last thing you were expecting when you got home was Robin sitting at your desk looking over a case file.

"Well, this is certainly unexpected..."

"Tt, your setup is amateurish at best, but your deductions skills are well above average I'll give you that."

"So did you drop in to do an impromptu Yelp review or...?"

"Ryan-Tech, I heard you've been investigating their background." 

You cocked a brow curious how wonder boy found out about that, but then remembered he was Batman's sidekick sleuthing was in his blood. "I have, what of it?"  You wondered if he was hear to tell you to back off, but to your surprise he pulled out a flash-drive, it had some info about Ryan-Tech that he wasn't able to crack. "Did you come cos you need help?" You saw the tips of Robin's ears turn red. "Tt, Don't think much into it alright!" he huffed as he loaded the drive onto your computer however while the files were loading, you got out everything your boss had on Ryan-Teach.

Maria had returned to the office she hesitantly entered when she noticed Robin at your computer. "Don't mind him, Let's talk about you." You gestured to the couch across from you. "So I've solved your missing persons case, Mr. Thompson was found safe." Maria looked elated to hear this. "He's living with his actual daughter." You watched Maria shift uncomfortably in her seat. "Which brings on the question, Why lie to me about your real identity...Miss Ryan?"

Robin stopped looking through your bosses old files and looked at the young lady sitting across from you, who looked like a deer in the headlights; shocked that you figured out her identity so quickly... "I get a lot of questionable things have happened at the company since your father suic-"Maria suddenly stood up. "He didn't kill himself!" she snapped causing you to backtrack a bit. "Sorry that was thoughtless of me." Maria calmed down a bit; handed you a check before leaving.

"Miss Ryan?" She paused before opening. "Should you ever require my services again? Know my door is open for you." the brunette nodded and quietly leaving. "You're pretty sure she'll come back?" Robin said watching the heiress get into a limo. "Maria wants to find out the truth behind her father's death, trust me she'll be back." You were pretty confident as you set up the track board.

First thing you stuck to the board was Maxwell Ryan's death 6 six years ago... Robin added Simona Castillo being sworn in as CEO a few weeks following the incident; Followed by a downward spiral of questionable work conditions and rumors of unsafe work conditions and employees bein laid off or resigned 'abroad' were reported. 

Thing is, when Y/n's boss interviewed concerned co-workers of the reassigned employees, they couldn't get a hold of them, it was like they just vanished out of existence. Those who were interviewed started getting into accidents, some deadly, some causing serious injury, no surprise these people stopped talking afterwards... You looked disheartened which confused Robin as he watched you pull down the blinds to reveal another board.

The Gideon Wright disappearance Aka: Case file 1304: Oh Boss where art thou?, To sum it up, two months ago your boss got a supposed lead and from a mysterious whistle blower, he went to rendezvous. His last order to you was "Take care of the shop while I'm out. I'll be back, I promise...." three days later Gideon still hadn't returned, You went looking for him at his last known location, The only things you found was his scorched hat and signs of an explosion...

Aside from that, there was no trace of Gideon anywhere! So instead of sitting and moping about it, you sucked it up and got to work! Taking minor cases to keep up rent, while keeping your eyes and ears open around Gotham, taking special attention to any whispers involving strange disappearance surrounding Ryan-Tech, Robin hummed absorbing your whole situation, well that explained why you were so focused on Ryan-Tech, up until now they've been doing pretty well staying out of the limelight...However.

There have been a lot hiccups and rumors surround Ryan-Tech recently, especially since Maria Ryan announced that she intends to take over as CEO in a few months after she's giving birth to her child, well that obliviously put a target on her back, so now this race against time... And Y/n was left wondering, just what was her boss's role in all of it?

[spooky-raccoon]

Caught In the Rain (Heisenberg x Reader)

@imtherain​ asked for more soft Karl and really I got inspired from your name.  I hope you do enjoy it!

          The man on the radio called for it to be sunny with very few clouds in the sky, but a horrible storm to come around in a few hours.   A mostly prefect day to be clearing out the large field by the factory that we both had been putting off.  There were so many failed tests and experiments out there that had just been left behind in Heisenberg’s sour mood.  It did take some convincing to get him outside and away from his most recent work , but my persistence finally got to him.  We packed a light snack for the inevitable time we would need to refuel ourselves and some drinks to keep us hydrated.  I didn’t expect the job to take too long, but him and I always agreed on being prepared.

         Wheel barrel after wheel barrel we filled up with metal scraps and bits to dump into a bit that would be sorted by the worker Soldat's in time. Some pieces were really peculiar, and he would stop to explain the strange whirligig.  Did I pay attention?  A bit when I could follow along though now and again my eyes would catch the grey clouds in the distance.  Sure, I still had a lot to learn, but storms were another thing when we were out in the wide open.  Each time I took a peak they looked like they were getting closer.  He insisted that things wouldn’t take too much longer, but that had become a good chunk time ago.

          Soft booms of thunder began to echo around the mountains and large buildings of the factory and Dimitrescu Castle created an interesting surround sound like effect.  It would have been rather peaceful if we weren’t entirely in the open still with metal surrounding us.  I tried to call for Heisenberg, but he was across the field just out of earshot.  I started to jog my way over to him when halfway there I could feel the first few drops of rain hit my skin. I could tell he was getting hit too as he stared up at the sky and a scowl grew on his face.

           “I told you it was going to rain on us before we got out here!”  I hollered out to him knowing that he could now hear me.

           “Yeah, yeah, yeah, don’t rub it in!  Let’s get back inside.”  He shouted back and the sky was only getting darker.

           Rain began to pour, and I grabbed onto his arm, dragging him toward the rock wall that lined part of the field.  “We aren’t going to make it.  This storm is hitting us now.  Come on!”

           “Jesus (Y/N), calm down.  It’s just a little rain.”  He brushed his sleeves once we were underneath the rock overhang that was just enough to keep us comfortably dry.

           “Then you didn’t pay attention to the radio all the way.  Even when I pointed out that the storm coming our way is the biggest this season.”  My brows furrowed as I looked at him and I leaned against the back wall to watch as the clouds became dark gray, unleashing as much rain as possible.  Thunder went off around us now and again with lightning in the distance.  “Told you to listen to it but nooo.  Someone said that we would be just fine and be done in such a short time.”

           I could almost feel his eye roll and he leaned on the wall with me. “Yeah, yeah Buttercup.  Should have listened.  I thought we could get it done in time.  I didn’t think it was that much out here but looks like it’s going to be a couple day project.”  He waved his hand to dismiss the conversation and I was pleased he admitted I was right.

          After a few minutes of watching the rain come down I decided to sit down to watch.  I may as well be comfortable for however long we were going to be stuck in here.  It was almost peaceful to watch the clouds roll in the sky and hear the rain listen to the different metal shack like features that littered the field.  It was like the clouds were playing a form of drums or maybe even a xylophone.  I found myself leaning my head on Heisenberg’s thigh without too much of a thought.  Though I became startled when he joined me on the ground.  As he did he removed his jacket and draped it over the both of us as a makeshift blanket.  His arm moved to slip around behind me to pull me closer to his side; my head going to rest on his side.

          “This ain’t too bad.  Don’t you think, Sweetheart?”

          “No, not bad at all.”

          For the longest time it was quiet between us.  Just admiring nature doing its thing and the company of each other.  We didn’t get too many relaxing moments like this since he was such a workaholic.  With how much work we had done that day it was much needed to as I felt the soreness work it’s way into my arms and legs from all the lifting.  It was almost like he knew as his hand made its way to my bicep and began to rub gently at first and then slowly into the muscle.

           Heisenberg decided to break the silence after a clap of thunder. “Can I tell you something?”  He turned his head down to look me in the eye as I looked up at him as he peaked my curiosity. I wondered what could be on his mind now.

           “Sure, what’s on your mind Heisenberg?”  A brow of mine raised in confusion, but curiosity.

           “I don’t know when we’ll have another moment like this, so I want to get this off my chest.”  For a second he closed his eyes, and I felt his chest rise as he took in a deep breath. His silver golden rimmed eyes met mine once more.  “I love you. More than I thought I could love anyone. I never thought it was possible to be honest, but I do.  I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now.  I’m more than happy to be stuck in a small ass cave in a nasty as hell storm with you by my side.”

           “Heisenberg.”  I could feel the heat flush to my cheeks and my chest.  “I’ve waited a good bit to hear that from you, I won’t lie”  A gentle smile grew on my lips.  “I love you too.”

           “Good or this would be really awkward.”  The corner of his lip lifted in a smirk just before he cupped the back of my head.  As we kissed another wave of thunder surrounded us, but between the two of us the storm didn’t even exist.

[fusrodie-archive]

ash & soot

Long before the Winters come into play, a monster stalks the Forbidden Forest that surrounds the Village. Karl Heisenberg is sent to investigate, and heads deeper into darkness to find his prey, a thorn on his side and someone just like him.

chapter 1 - grisly reunions

SFW, canon-typical violence, blood, mention of death. 2K words.

link to ao3 (or read down below)

Nothing ever happened in this boring old village. Every day he would wake up to the same dull sky, the biting cold on his skin, the smell of blood in the air. And the chanting, for fuck’s sake, the goddamn chanting. In the silence of night, you could hear them if you listened close enough. Even cooped up in his factory, trying to focus on bringing his latest creation to life, through the humming of engines and rattling of pistons, he could hear their voices pleading forgiveness and salvation.

It paints a perfect picture in his mind: a bunch of old farts holding hands in a circle, standing over a creepy-ass painted crest of an unborn baby, pouring their heart and soul into their prayer, accepting death and giving glory to their murderer. The prayer itself never made sense to him, not really, but he had to admit it was a damn good way of justifying their atrocities. Nobody batted an eyelash when someone was taken away, went poof overnight to never return. Something about the sacrifice having been made, fate had led them to the light at the end or some shit. It used to fascinate him back in the day, when he was just a child watching everything unfold hidden behind his mother’s skirt. But he was no longer a child, and after almost a century of bullshit, it was hard not to impale every single fucker who talked about devotion and destiny.

Not that anyone would care about it, of course - sister dearest routinely kidnapped girls from the village and no one seemed to notice the Castle was a death trap. Boxes and boxes of wine would make their way into the village and out into the world, the truth right there in the label, and no one seemed to put two and two together. Dimitrescu had offered him more than a few bottles as a courtesy, an attempt to bridge the gap between them - even he had limits, however, lines that he would not cross. The very thought of bringing a goblet of blood-infused wine to his lips made his stomach turn; he had never been one to experiment much with food. He drew the line on frozen pizza and energy drinks.

It’s a wonder the village still had people in it, really; between Alcina’s obsession with maidens, the poor sods taken to Moreau for Cadou experiments and the failed vessels Miranda would discard like common garbage, he figured at this point there were more lycans than people around. More for him to experiment on, he figured, though digging up corpses in the dead of night had done a number on his back. Haulers could only do so much, and more often than not he would have to get his hands dirty. Not having a proper bed, sleeping on a bare metal cot and decades of living on borrowed time had nothing to do with it, of course.

The Castle drawbridge lowered as he approached, hammer thrown over his shoulder, one last peaceful drag of his cigar before he was thrown into yet another boring council meeting. The vineyard greeted him with the bleak vibrancy of a cemetery, scarecrows drained of color, barely recognizable but eerily preserved in chunks of ice. A waste of perfectly good specimens, really.

The halls were quiet for a change, no tormented screams and blood-curling wails, no giggling sisters running around in the hallways. It all smelled of death and old people, expensive perfume and a good dose of arrogance.

He flashed a charming smile at one of the Castle’s servants, laughing when the girl turned a bright shade of red and scrambled away from him. Heisenberg could hear the bickering as he pushed the doors open, Angie’s joints clicking incessantly as the doll moved about. Moreau’s breathing sounded as loud and disgusting as ever, yellow teeth and the smell of a polluted riverbed with a hint of fish. There they were, his beloved little family, waiting patiently for him, staring at him like he had fucked every single one of their mothers.

“You are late, Heisenberg.” Alcina began, as she always did, eyebrow raised in contempt. “As always. Mother,” she turned to Miranda, gesturing towards him with her hoity-toity, stupid cigarette.

“You are obnoxious, Dimitrescu.” He replied without sparing her a glance. “As always.”

He could practically hear her seething as she finally placed her humongous backside on her chair, having given up on chastising him when Miranda paid both of them no mind. Mother sat at the end of the golden-trimmed table, looking awkward in her great black gown and modly crow wings. Dimitrescu’s finest china was laid perfectly for their little afternoon tea party, cup handles that were too big to fit his fingers, minuscule spoons that were fit for Angie’s creepy hands. The servant that had scurried away at the sight of him had come back with a tray of hot tea, biscuits and blood - the house’s specialty. Miranda began speaking as the girl poured her drink, some small chitchat about the state of the village, the influx of foreigners and progress on her grand resuscitation project.

“Thank you darling, but I brought my own.” He started as the girl circled around the table to serve him, pointing down towards his belt buckle to the whiskey flask he always carried around. She couldn’t help but look down, and then up at his sly smile, the blush returning to her cheeks in full force. Dimitrescu’s reaction was swift, a well placed slap with the back of her hand square on the girl’s cheek. He felt sorry for her for a moment, but it was good training - if she wanted to survive the Castle, she would have to learn that it was better to be blind and deaf, and that she had much more provocation coming her way than his harmless flirting.

Heisenberg tuned out of the conversation as he poured his whiskey, pinching the teaspoon between his index and middle fingers, swirling it slowly, scraping the sides of the porcelain. Alcina’s displeasure at his use of her china for such vile beverages made it all the better. He slurped it loudly to add insult to injury, savoring the drink for a second, sloshing it around his mouth before swallowing, a satisfied “ah” escaping him when the liquor burned down his throat. If Alcina didn’t already look like a corpse, he felt like she would have turned purple. When he unceremoniously shoved an entire biscuit in his mouth, crumbs falling all over the tablecloth, he thought she would vomit.

“The latest vessel, unfortunately, has been a failure.” Miranda announced with sadness in her voice, which prompted all of his other siblings to sigh collectively in sympathy. What a bunch of morons. “However, we have made some progress. It seems my theories were correct - younger subjects are far more receptive to the Cadou.” Kidnap babies, got it. There was no limit to how low Miranda would get to fuel her quest for a daughter that had been dead for longer than she was alive. “I regret to say there are no suitable infants at the moment,” she stopped to sip at her tea. “We can only hope the harvest fares better in the coming months.” Had she seen them as nothing but guinea pigs back then, too? No doubt in his mind she did. The only reason she kept them around is because she might not be able to kill all of the monsters she created - better to keep them close than risking losing it all.

“There is but one more matter I would like to discuss, Mother Miranda,” Dimitrescu began, a lilt in her voice, the telltale sign that whatever would come out of her mouth next would be positively foul. “My girls have brought me troubling news.” Troubling, he repeated to himself, but she had a smile on her face as she said it. Miranda gestured at her to continue, which she gladly did, excitement rising with every new word. “It would seem a monster prowls near our blessed haven. There is talk among the villagers of bodies being found drained of blood, organs harvested, but without a single cut left behind.” She stood up to pace the room, one of her favorite displays of grandiose that made her look like the world’s biggest buffoon. It suited her. “At first I believed this to be a mere rumor, a lycan attacking the livestock, a corpse refusing to rest. But then,” she clapped her hands, the doors to the room promptly opening to give way to Crazy, Dumb and Ugly, giggling in their flowing black dresses, dragging a corpse along like it was a treasure they had found in the forest. Angie tagged along with their excitement, pushing Moreau away to get a better look at the stinking body thrown onto the hardwood.

There was no mistaking the lycan, all teeth, claws and complexion of the finest of silver poisonings. It smelled just as bad dead than it did alive; bruises and injuries and gums that stuck out of its mouth. How, pray tell, was this thing still in one piece? Heisenberg rose to take a closer look, pushed its stringy hair away from its face to reveal glassy eyes poking weirdly out of their sockets. He tested its consistency with a slight kick, stabbed it with the butter spreader, shoved a gloved hand in the cut to pull it apart and open. It looked fresh enough, but nothing but a foul vapor oozed out of the body. Crystal dust lined its insides, shards poking out of muscles. He pushes his arm deeper, feels around the chest cavity to find nothing.

“No cuts, no holes,” he begins as he pokes and prods. “No bites, either. Heart’s missing. This your handiwork, Alcina?” Heisenberg quips, suspicion seeping through his stoic facade. For a moment, he swears he can see the lycan’s flesh pulse, the smallest contraction of a muscle. This whole situation got weirder by the second.

“The technique is truly admirable, is it not?” She offers with a gleeful smile, picks up her cigarette and places a hand on her hip. Here we go again. “I simply must have it. Besides, we must know if it poses any threat to us.” She was right, this time. After decades of experimentation, none of them had ever managed to keep an infected subject whole after death.

His shoulders slumped as she spoke, head bowing to hide his discontentment behind the brim of his hat. He knew what this meant: being sent on a stupid adventure in the ass-end of the woods, because he was the only one out of this freak show with the brain and brawn to venture out into the world in broad daylight, without dying to the cold or stopping every five seconds to infect and pet wild animals. Some of these missions he did enjoy, like being sent to nearby towns for special supplies - or special victims. He was never gone long, nor would he stray far, but those escapades never failed to serve as a reminder that he had a reason to keep going, that maybe one day he would be free and the world would be his to explore.

The four of them eyed Miranda quietly, waiting for the verdict that was certain to come. Moreau cut the silence by volunteering to investigate, the pathetic pitter-pat of his feet filling the room when Mother smiled at him.

“I would not risk you in such a way, my son,” she patted his head without a hint of affection. “Not when we are so close to answers. You must continue your research - Heisenberg will look into this… Whatever it is. You are dismissed.” Her tone was nonchalant, her confidence rock solid. This was merely an obstacle, not real danger. At least, that is what she wanted them all to see; if one looked close enough, they would notice the slight furrow in her brow through the slits of the golden mask.

“As you wish, mother.” He tipped his hat before taking his leave, chewing on his unlit cigar, feet pressing hard against the gravel underneath.

Heisenberg never thought he would come to regret having a proper spine and a functional pair of legs.

[thatringboy]

fluffy klee and albedo family stuff :D

okay this one turned on my inner big brother and it's just so cute

Ice Fishing

Warnings: Angry Albedo?

Characters: Albedo, Klee

Ships: Absolutely none.

Word Count: 848

Summary: Albedo takes Klee ice fishing

Albedo ran his boot over the fire to kick snow onto the cooling coals. To his right, Klee’s sleeping form layed curled up using his coat as a blanket. Even if he didn’t feel the cold, she could. Albedo often wondered if her Pyro Vision could keep her safe from the chill of Dragonspine and what was the extent of a Vision’s effect on its user. That would be the subject of his tests another time. Right now, he had a job to complete.

Albedo knelt down next to the small girl and gently pushed her shoulder to wake her up. “Klee, time to go.”

She sat up and yawned, stretching her short arms above her head. Albedo sat down and produced a hairbrush from her bag to behind smoothing out her blonde bed head. “How was your sleep?”

He asked her out of curiosity. Albedo being who he was could not dream and did not have a need for sleeping. It was always strange to him to see his old masters or his companions take seven hour breaks in their work to slumber.

Klee hummed as she came to her senses. “Klee dreamed about a bi-i-ig fishie!”

“Oh?” That was another thing that fascinated the Alchemist: a child’s imagination. “What did the big fish do?”

The little girl giggled as her caretaker pulled her hair into her iconic pigtails. “The fishie swallowed Klee whole and took me for a ride! You and Uncle Kaeya and Master Jean and Miss Lisa and Miss Amber and Miss Eula were all there too.”

Albedo handed her her hat. “Was Miss Sucrose there?”

“Absolutely!” She put the hat on and giggled, pulling her bag over her shoulders. “Now, let’s get to business, Klee has some work to do!”

She jumped to her feet and skipped away from the campsite. Albedo retrieved his coat and followed behind her, keeping an eye on the short girl as she ran down the mountain path.

The sun was coming up over the horizon, illuminating the snow and everything it covered in a multi-colored haze. Klee stood atop a rock, frantically waving for Albedo to move faster. The sun was already up, they were losing time!

He jogged to keep up with her and the two came across a frozen lake. Before Albedo could put any safety measures in place, Klee had already slid across the ice in a laughing fit. Nothing was going to stop her from trying out the hobby of that strange man from the Toy Factory if she had anything to say about it.

Against his better judgement, Albedo stepped out onto the ice with her and drew his sword. She snatched it from his fingers and dug the blade into the ice, drawing it in a circle across the covered water until a hole was made.

The Alchemist took his sword back and glanced around. “Now, we should head back to shore to make fishing rods--”

Klee dropped an explosive into the water before he finished speaking. Albedo’s eyes widened as he scooped Klee into his arms right as the bomb sent a ripple across the ice. He barely managed to throw Klee back to dry land before the ice under his feet gave way and he face-planted on the shore, soaking his clothing.

“Albedo!” She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the water.

Her heart stopped when she saw his face. Albedo was a man of few words and fewer emotions, but right now his cerulean eyes burned in anger and he clenched his jaw as he picked himself up out of the snow and mud.

“Klee?” His voice was lower than she had ever heard it before.

She gulped and put her hands behind her back. “Yes, Albedo?”

“What do explosives do?”

“Blow things up?”

“Things like what?”

She tried shrinking in on herself. “Like ice…”

Albedo pinched the bridge of his nose, a gesture he had picked up from Master Diluc once during an outing with the Cavalry Captain. “And what were we standing on?”

“I’m sorry…” Klee made a sheepish face.

He knelt down to her level and changed his expression to a calm one. “I accept your apology. I should have explained the mechanics of ice fishing to you before we left, that’s on me. Are you hurt?”

She shook her head and looked around him. “But Klee broke all the ice…”

Albedo turned to glance over his shoulder and sighed. The sheet of ice that had been laid across the freezing water was now floating in chunks across the surface of the lake.

So much for taking a whole day off for their outing.

“Then I suppose we will just have to improvise.” He got back to his feet and attempted to brush off some of the mud on his coat.

Klee’s smile returned and she dropped her bag, pulling out another bomb. “Can I?”

“Go for it.” He watched as she ran past him and chucked the explosive into the water to blow up more fish. So much for trying new things.

[haxorus-imp]

Human Perspective - Reader LBP fic

Gender neutral Reader - No romance - Little Big Planet - No dialogue 

A human is lost in the imagisphere and is struggling to cope with their new surroundings. AO3 for those that prefer to read it there - > https://archiveofourown.org/works/28741977

You really don’t remember how you arrived here in this strange place. One moment you were resting peacefully, the next thing you know, you were being woken up by a small little humanoid fabric creature.

Once your eyes focused, you had gotten startled upright from the presence of the being, which was obviously understandable. In a hurry, you scoot away from the being and frantically look around. Despite just waking up, it took mere moments for you to realize that something was completely off about the land you were in...let alone how you got there. You were left completely dumbfounded. The small little humanoid seemed a bit worried about you, despite just meeting you.

Flustered, your confusion only grew when you tried to ask the little creature where you were and it simply spoke in sign language. Which you didn’t understand. Seeing your expression of complete loss, the little being thought for a moment before it decided to wave at you in a ‘follow me’ motion as they turned and waddled away. Still lost and confused, you really didn’t have a choice.

You picked yourself up and followed the little being through some garden-like areas before the landscape began to change and buildings made out of wood and cardboard slowly appeared. While on the walk over to who-knows-where, you decided to slightly distract yourself with looking around at your surroundings.

It was strange, as it almost felt like you were back home on Earth. However, this was far from the case. An example of your strange predicament lies in the horizon and around yourself. It was all made of fabric...just like the ground was...with an exception of other things. Like the cardboard buildings and creatures that dwelled nearby, as well as the fabric clouds that floated on by. The only thing that could be deemed ‘normal’ around here, at least to you, was the water that flowed in the rivers under the bridges you two passed by. Everything was strangely made to look like projects of arts and crafts.

Not even the locals were exempted from this rule. As the little creature that was leading you somewhere was made entirely of knitted wool. I just left you puzzled and completely stumped at where you even were.

But hopefully this little biped would be able to provide some answers. Your first set of strange contacts was with a small group that the little sack...thing...person...was leading you towards. Your approach didn’t go unnoticed. Once you and the little creature arrived, the three figures were giving you wary glances. But the little sackperson stepped forward and began to sign to them. It was quite a surprise to learn that these larger beings seemed to be British...despite this place not looking like Earth. A bit of back and forth later and you finally managed to introduce yourself and explain your situation to the three larger beings. In which, they introduced themselves to you as well.

There was Larry Da Vinci, an elderly individual with a paper beard and cardboard 3D glasses, who seemed to be rather forgetful, as it took him a moment to remember his own name before the bun-having blonde next to him spoke up.

Her name was Victoria, who had doll-like features and a steampunk-inspired body. She also seemed to be very polite too. Despite being an older female, her and Da Vinci even seemed to be a thing. If the sweet-based names he kept calling her had anything to say for it.

Then there was a rather depressed-looking individual named Clive, who was a man with an eraser for a body and a cyan desk calendar for a head, which was just to name a few things that caught your eye about him. It was just so strange to see paperclips merely sticking to a body without an anchor. But he was still polite none-the-less, even if he wasn’t as enthusiastic as Larry or Victoria.

As for yourself? Well, you were a human. Made of flesh and blood, unlike the natives of this realm you happened to get lost in. It wasn’t hard to take notice of how the others would look at you strangely from time to time.

Not only just because you showed up out of nowhere, but because your appearance just seemed...as that Ginger-Haired prideful loudmouth ‘Avalon’ would put it - “Highly suspicious-looking”. You didn’t think you looked that bad...or creepy. So, you just played down their doubts by just explaining that you're from very far away and that you were lost. It took a bit of convincing from Sackthing to see if Larry had any leads on what to do.

Many of them acted like they had never seen a human before and it wasn’t hard to see why. I mean, they even thought you looked ill and took you to an apple-headed nurse, who was strangely in a birdcage of all things, named Eve to have a look at you. She apparently tried to find your ‘stitching’, which took you awhile to explain that you weren’t born with ‘stitching’. She seemed completely lost with your explanation on a normal human body and she did some typical tests. Took your temperature, tested your reflexes, and gave you a few psychological tests. All came back okay, showing that you were in fact a perfectly normal human being. Even if she seemed slightly disappointed. The rest of the time was spent visiting the other creators once word got around that a unique stranger was visiting Craftworld from ‘very far away’. Despite meeting a fair chunk of them within the first few hours.

It was most likely Avalon who let the cat out of the bag, the dude probably can’t keep his mouth shut to save his life. If your first encounter with him had anything to say about it. Dude even had the nerve to call you a ‘rubbery-looking tall weirdo’.

Thankfully, Larry chewed him out for his rudeness before you could. So one by one, you met the creator curators and visited their homelands with Larry as your guide, since sackthing had other duties to attend to at the time.

It was quite an exhausting trip. Thankfully most of the realms could be accessed by rocketships that were provided by Larry Da Vinci. Yes, rocketships. Made out of cardboard...with a jet attached to them.

You didn’t understand how they worked, so you pretty much just went with it and didn’t ask any questions. Each encounter was as unique as they came as you headed off to the other parts of Craftworld with Larry. Your first encounter was with the lovely baker you met before, Victoria. She was very interesting to say the least, having a lab and bakery hybrid that she called home. She explored the possibilities of pastries and science. A strange combination. She even tried to offer you some of her baked goods, which you sadly discovered you couldn’t eat. At all . You just couldn’t force yourself to eat a literal SPONGE cake, so you had to turn her down gently but gratefully thanked her for the offer anyway. After that was Clive, the same depressed individual from earlier. You eventually discover that  he has lived in a factory for most of his life and just knows the day in and day out of being at work constantly. No wonder the poor sap was so blue. He obviously needed a long vacation. After a typical meet and greet, you toured the factory he called home and had a lot of fun watching how things operated while Clive rambled on and on about work and various activities he would perform around the factory. You even got to meet the cute little sackbots while you were there. Which was a pleasant experience in itself! After that was Eve’s Asylum where she and Professor Higginbottom were located. You met Higginbottom at the Asylum. Which was probably the strangest thing you have ever experienced...aside from being lost in this fabric dimension. He seemed like someone who got into the bong and never came out. Though, listening to him talk was quite entertaining. Even if you didn’t understand anything that came from his mouth. Eve was present there as well. Despite the underwhelming encounter from earlier, Eve was still elated to observe you and see how you were coping.  She apparently ran the asylum that was filled with beautiful flora, magical trees, and crazy people. Which wasn’t a surprise, but you were just happy that they were under the care of someone as loving as Eve. Even if she got a bit frustrated that she couldn’t make heads or tails about your ‘strange biology predicament’. Even with an unnecessary ‘second analysis’. Then finally, there was Avalon. The dude was about as loud and as arrogant as they came.

However, he pushed it to a point where he made it endearing rather than annoying, but your traveling companion could beg to differ. It seemed that Larry and Avalon had a lot of disagreements on who was the leader of “The Alliance”. Whatever that was. Both of them mixed like oil and vinegar, like broccoli and pizza, like boomers and millennials...it was honestly kinda funny to watch them bicker. However, you haven’t forgotten that rude comment he made about you. So you were still on the fence with him. Still, Avalonia was a wonderful place to visit. Looking at all of the strange gadgets that were made, the types of vehicles, and the sheer ethereal aura that the place radiated...Avalon really did have a strong reason to flex after all.

But as fun as it was to visit these Curators, you still needed to find your way home. Plus, you had to keep moving if you were going to be able to find anything to eat.

I mean, you have been offered food on numerous occasions while on your trip, however it wasn’t anything you could actually eat. ‘Sponge’ cakes, icing that was too sweet, jam that was too sticky, crackers that were made of cardboard, cookies made out of paper, fruit made out of fabric or plastic… It was all fake...and you were starting to starve.

Your lack of eating also seemed to worry Larry, but you feigned being fine. Despite the fact that you hadn’t really eaten in days. It was wearing down on you pretty bad at this point. Despite your lie, Larry seemed to still be lost on what to do with you. You honestly couldn’t blame him though. You were quite an enigma. Then, Larry was reminded of something and had explained that he was going to go to a place called Bunkum to attend a session in a place called Popit Academy and graciously offered if you wanted to visit while he was participating. At that time, you really didn’t know that you could explore other planets...but this was a strange new universe with strange new ways. So what could possibly go wrong?

So, from one planet made of patches to one with strange gadgets on it, you arrive at a place called “Needlepoint Peaks”.

Which was filled with crisp mountain air and little floating objects that harassed you at every angle. It was quite frustrating, as they would cling to you and you would have to constantly shake them loose. It seemed to amuse Larry to the point of chuckling as you both headed down the mountain together. While on the way, you even decided to take a bite out of the crackers that were sticking out of the ground. Which turned out to be a big mistake.

The ‘treat’ was about as stale as they come. It was hard to chew and it had the lingering scent of cardboard and dust. You promptly spat it out and coughed violently while Larry looked at you like you had lost your marbles.

Despite everything looking tasty, it was all dried and stale, nothing more than deceptive decorations for your ever growing hunger that gnawed away at you from your insides. You could only sigh helplessly as you passed the deceptive goodies and just focused on following Larry to the next destination. Once down from the mountain, both of you arrived at a place called ‘Stitchem Manor’, which seemed to be occupied by two lightbulbs and a monster. The family greeted Larry and seemed to notice you, despite you attempting to hide your taller figure behind the Elder Curator. The smaller lightbulb seemed to be very eager to meet you, as he strode up and waved and said a rather friendly hello. You timidly come out of hiding and meet up with him too. Returning the greeting politely. The lightbulb seems to happily chitter about as you stare at him. He then graciously introduces you to his father, a clear idol in his eyes, and his mother. Who wasn’t a monster. She just looked scary as hell.

You politely greet them in return and Larry explains your situation to the family. It seemed that Larry had decided to see if you could visit with the Pud family, which was a rather strange name, until he was through with his lessons at the popit academy. Seeing if one of them was available to show you around Bunkum until he came back later. You almost rolled your eyes at the thought of needing a guide or babysitter, but you didn’t know this place. So you really should stick with someone until you understand the ropes. The younger-looking lightbulb, who was named Newton, proudly volunteers to show you around Bunkum. A desire to give his ‘new strange-looking chum the best tour of Bunkum they have ever experienced’. So he says. Apparently, his parents were both worried about his proposal. Not because of you, but apparently Newton had caused a heap of trouble for the natives of Bunkum and was still in too-hot water because of it. Despite making peace with most of the locals and trying to clear his name from the titan incident...whatever that was. It sounds bad just by the name alone.

However, after enough begging, his parents gave in and decided to allow him to show you around Bunkum. Satisfied with the ordeal, Larry had headed off and Newton’s parents headed back inside the large manor.

Once alone, Newton had grabbed your hand before suddenly letting go in surprise. When questioned, he just stared and made a comment about how your ‘knitting’ felt strange against his hands. You just merely shrugged and walked ahead, Newton quickly taking the lead again as he rambled on and on about stuff to do while you were visiting.

The first stop was Manglewood. Which could only be reached by boat. Which just made the ride over much more boring than usual, except when Newton would talk about it and mention all the things to do there. It helped to pass the time until the island in question came into view. By appearance alone, you would’ve thought you both were lost in some bayou in the heart of Louisiana, but that wasn’t far enough from the truth. There were film reels, movie cameras, and set pieces all strewn about the landscape. Making it look like a set that was covered in moss and willows. However, you also took notice of a strange figure sitting at the edge of the landmass. Simply sitting there and watching the boat. Once close enough, you seemed to make out that it appeared to be...dog-like? Like a sock puppet type of dog? It was just waiting there and once you both touched down on land, it sped over to investigate. In which, it happily jumped aboard and sniffed around.

Once it glanced at Newton, it’s face changed to a certain type of disinterest but once it scanned over to you, it began to wag its’...butt...and bark happily. You confusedly look at the animal before waving and greeting the...dog-thing. Having it jump up on you and lick you with a fabric tongue, thankfully it didn’t seem to leave any slobber behind.

Newton explained that it was a creature called Oddsock and it seemed to be protecting Manglewood. He almost seemed a tad bit jealous that Oddsock had taken a liking to you so quickly, even if he didn’t show it openly.

He led you off of the boat and further into Manglewood, the dog sticking close to your side.

There, you both found a man who introduced himself as Marlon Random.

He was quite a character. Looking like a spool of film with a strange hairstyle to go with it, the dancing, the personality, the references to movies and such...he was probably the most enjoyable to be around. He didn’t even seem to mind Newton. Greeting him as if it was any other day, in which Newton had replied half-heartedly and explained your situation. Once Marlon heard of your plight, he stopped and looked at you closer. Taking notice of your strange appearance as well, he nods and laughs lightly. Eager to show Manglewood to you, despite Newtons’ protests. You had decided to visit the space area and discovered that floating in space was incredibly fun. The zero gravity, peaceful music playing in the background, and just the weightlessness of it all...it was truly an experience. After that, he took you over to the old-style diner. You jammed out to some old-style tunes, which strangely came from Earth of all places, and you even tried to take a few bites out of the food laying around. Getting the same result as the one from Needlepoint Peaks. You even tried the milkshakes. Which were SO SWEET. Too sweet even!

It was like everything around here was made out of two dumptruck loads of sugar. Plus, you couldn’t really force past it, as it was strong enough to hurt your teeth anyway. One secret spit out later and you lot had decided to settle in for a bite.

With the exemption of you. So while Newton, Marlon, and even Oddsock enjoyed the food...you found yourself without a meal yet again. Your aching belly rumbling in disdain as you sigh quietly. You just had to endure for a bit longer...you would get home soon...hopefully. Thankfully there was water to drink. So you had that instead. Still, you had a kick watching Newton shove fries and pieces of food into that hole in his neck. Which made sense, as he simply couldn’t shove it past the glass that covered his head. It just made you wish you could enjoy it with them...wait...why were they looking at you...why were they laughing --? A tickling sensation pretty much crawled around you as those bothersome floating objects began to stick to you again, resulting in you crying out in agitation and shaking about in the seat to dislodge them. Your companions seemed to find the situation hilarious as you pluck them off and flick them away from yourself. Huffing a bit at your group as they laugh at your grumpiness. But once it was all said and done, the last places being too ‘dangerous’ for you to explore, you both decided it would be time to head out to the Ziggurat. You would’ve headed to a place called ‘Zom Zom’s’ however Newton explained that he only took a special type of currency called ‘collectabells’, which got a chuckle out of you. Sadly, you didn’t really have any currency at all. So you skipped on going there. He probably wouldn’t have anything in your size anyway. So, both of you cross the bridge and ride the gondola into the distance while Marlon and Oddsock waved you both off. In no time at all, the temperature began to drop and snow began to fall from the sky. The wind from the gondola didn’t help the situation either, your clothes could barely keep out the chill. Newton didn’t seem bothered by it, which wasn’t a surprise to you. That fluffy coat he was wearing looked comfortable.

You would ask to wear it, but it was just too small for you. Plus, Lightbulbs radiate heat, so he was probably all warm and toasty underneath that fabric. Talk about being lucky.

Finally, the gondola came to a hill and along that hill seemed to be a towering figure. It almost looked like a burlap sack...like something you would shove potatoes in. Once closer though, it seemed similar to the last creature you encountered.

If logical reasoning could be fathomed here, that must be this land’s protector as well. Seeing by how they grew alert to the approaching elevator. Once it stopped and you and Newton stepped off, the large figure approached curiously. Similar to before, the creature met Newton with a poker face about as blank as the snow, but he gave you a rather silly smile once he looked in your general direction. What you didn’t expect was a large friendly hug to accompany that smile. You were pretty much scooped up and pressed against the taught cloth-chest of the large figure, gasping for air as it cuddled you. Newton began by explaining that this was the Ziggurat, which also happened to be Toggles’ home. Which was the name of the creature hugging you. He told you about the grand library and the ballets that would be held here every day and that hopefully you would enjoy the shows while you both were here. With a few desperate taps on Toggle, you were released and were finally able to get a full breath of air. You almost felt bad for Toggle’s worried face, but a reassured pat on their arm seemed to make them satisfied that you were okay. You walk along, following Newton as he gives you a brief tour of the entrance. Toggle following close behind you both as you walk towards a large and towering brass-like structure that was the centerpiece of this frozen wasteland.

Then, you met Papal Mache in the temple sanctum. Who gave Newton a rather skeptical glance after your arrival before staring at you for a brief moment. Once again, another remark on your appearance was made.

It almost made you wanna put a bag over your head and hide away from the world.

And what is with everyone asking where your ‘stitching’ was? You’re not made of fabric!

You just let out another sigh as Newton repeated the spill from earlier encounters while you busied yourself by looking at the temple architecture. From the looks of it, it seemed to be the insides of a large pipe organ, with stained glass windows of ballerinas and russian-esque soldiers. Which made sense, as Russia was known for its musical culture and revered classics in the modern world. While you admired the art and such, Papal Mache seemed to understand and decided to escort you both down to the library. Which was being looked after by...a dog...woman...thing.

You simply just shake your head and decide to listen in on her history lessons that were offered to you, which were indubitably interesting and selectively inspiring.

Especially once you began to read some of the pamphlets that Toggle helped save from a flood. Toggle even stayed and sat down to listen to his heroic deeds for a bit. Out of curiosity, you pick up one of the pamphlets. No wonder the lady-dog would’ve been so upset to lose some of this history, it was pretty interesting! However, it was short-lived once Newton grew bored and pulled you away from the library with a rushed goodbye to the friendly dog lady. Nearly leaving Toggle behind. Only then did you realize how cold you were getting from the temperature after sitting still on a cold floor. You begin to shudder as the cold wind brushes against you and you slow down as the cold bites at your flesh.

Curiously, Newton had questioned what was wrong as you trembled helplessly in the frigid gales. Once you explained that humans can get something called hypothermia from excessive cold and die, Newton practically flipped his lid.

A quick grasp of your hand and he took off with you in tow.

He quickly rushed past Papal Mache and through the temple to get you to a large furnace on the other side.

Once close enough, you could feel the warmth of the furnace melting away the freezing ice that had wrapped itself around your body. Replacing it with warmth and comfort. Once at the entrance, you graciously sit down on the warmed metal and let out a blissful sigh of relief. You were pretty much scolded by Newton for not telling him earlier and a worried Papal Mache arrived on scene not much later. A brief questioning later and Papal figured it might be best if you don’t stay here too long. Not that he didn’t enjoy new visitors, but because you just weren’t equipped for such freezing temperatures. Which were even worse when night fell.

You nodded in understanding and let out a sigh of brief disappointment, but the snow was hard to endure at this point. Once you thawed out, you both would be heading to your final destination, Bunkum Lagoon.

The sound of small rapid footsteps grace your ears as a smaller version of the big guy came scuttling onto the scene. A brief slide later and suddenly it was the big guy again! Only then did you realize what ‘Toggle’ meant. It made you almost wanna laugh. Papal Mache decided to speak up to the large silent hero about your incident and Toggle seemed to become saddened by the news, but nodded in understanding anyway. You felt bad for such a rapid departure, but what else could be done? It was best to finish touring Bunkum so you could get back to Stitchem Manor so you could wait for Larry. Once you got warm enough, you stood up from the ground and Newton rejoined you as both of you walked back into the temple and towards the back where a large elevator awaited. Both of you got on and Papal Mache and Toggle waved their farewells as the elevator began to move and drop down. You had no idea how this would get you to a lagoon, but if you weren’t at the risk of getting hypothermia, you may like it a bit more… Newton seemed to be more apprehensive about this place, unlike the last two places you both visited. He began to talk about a wicked queen who probably boils her disrespectful subjects in hot oil and how she would probably tear him limb from limb if she as much as smelled him. You probably broke a sweat listening to his anxious worries about the next destination. Didn’t seem to be as peaceful as the last two places, just from what he was saying alone. You gulped as the air began to become more humid as the elevator slowed to a stop.

Once outside, the first thing your eyes caught was the sunset that was glistening over the very large lake that resided in a city filled with towering spires and buildings. You couldn’t hide a gasp of awe as you stepped out into the residential areas and admired the masquerade theme that the city had going for it. Plus, there were airships and clouds as far as your eyes could see. It was truly breathtaking. Newton slowly slinked out after you, scanning around as if to keep an eye out for danger. You had thrown caution to the wind as you walked out further into the Lagoon, Newton squeaking and following behind you for a change. You pretty much just happily stroll through the town, looking at all of the cardboard, stickers, and crafted creatures fluttering about. A stark contrast to a human like yourself.

Suddenly, a sudden shout came from above. The noise made Newton cry out in fear as he hid behind yourself as a hovering platform came into your view. On top of it was a marionette looking female as she called down to the both of you. From the tone of her voice, you already knew you weren’t gonna like her. Her tone was bratty and easily portrayed the type that she was. That type being a heavily spoilt princess that expected everyone to obey and respect them, despite them not deserving any. She was also being followed by another sack creature, this one resembling a bird. She immediately began to chew out Newton for one reason or another, you weren’t exactly paying attention as she hissed at your companion. It was almost like she was demanding an explanation as to why he was in ‘her’ kingdom. Newton had managed to pluck up enough courage to creep out from behind yourself as he explained your situation once more. About how you were from ‘very far away’ and a friend had asked if someone was willing to show Bunkum to the newcomer. Despite the fact that he tried to pass it off as him trying to make amends by doing this ‘tour’ with you. Despite the fact that he selflessly volunteered for it, no pressuring from his father or anything. Still, you said nothing as the ‘Queen of Bunkum’ introduced herself to you and you to Swoop, who had landed and was staring at you after giving Newton another neutral passing glance. It even almost seemed to flutter happily for a bit. It made you wonder why all of these sack creatures seemed to be happy to see you, but that can be pondered later. Right now, you just wanted to go and explore this last location before the night began to fall.

With courtesy, you bowed a bit and greeted Pinky. Being sure to call her ‘queen’ in a respectful manner. She looked like the type that was prone to suck-ups.

In which you assumed correctly. Almost seemingly flustered with your polite behavior, she cackles a bit before welcoming you to the Lagoon and ‘knowing fully well that you WILL enjoy your stay ’. However she does give you a warning to keep ‘that yellow ninny’ out of trouble, to which you assured her that she had nothing to be concerned for. Satisfied, she calls swoop back to her side and the levitating platform hovers off into the distance. A thankfully short encounter. Newton lets out a relieved sigh as you continue on. A desire to explore in your veins as the sun continues to set. It was kinda sad that you couldn’t hang out with the bird like you could the other two, but it probably has a job protecting the queen. Still, you continued on. Your lightbulb co-conspirator follows you from close behind. Just waiting to see what you decide to do with the rest of your day. And It was a rather eventful rest of the day.

Both you and Newton had attended various events. Such as an air joust festival, a puppet show, and you two even climbed the tallest tower in the district and listened to the bells of the tower ring. You even got to see the ‘legendary creative heart’, which was strangely disturbing. Despite it being just a giant valentine heart with large bird wings, it still pulsed like an actual heart. You honestly didn’t know how the locals could stand being next to it for so long. Even from this distance it was loud enough for you to hear. You just brush it off and try to ignore all of the bothersome floaty things that came from it. Hopefully none of them would stick to you. At the end of your trip, you both stopped on a pier to watch the sunset over the lagoon. The purple and pink clouds just brought out a tranquility in the atmosphere that almost made you forget about your troubles and your lingering sleepless exhaustion. Despite being here for about a few days, you were starving and getting any sleep was rather rare. Mostly since weird things would occur while you were dozing.

You fell asleep in the rocketship once and a large flower garden had grown up around you while you had slept and you only took notice when you woke up. It was hard to explain it to Larry. You even crashed in Clive’s factory and when you awakened, some new robots were by your side. Seemingly not made in the factory at all, as they didn’t even have the same body shape as the Sackbots. Clive was about as stumped as you were when you showed him. It was just...when you fell asleep, weird stuff would happen to you and the things that surrounded where you were sleeping. So now, you just try to stay awake as much as possible. Even if your eyelids felt like cinder blocks and tiredness nipped at your aching muscles. The thing that bothered you the most as your empty stomach.

If you couldn’t sleep nor eat, how would you even make it out of here?

There was no sustenance to keep you going. You’re pretty much running on emergency energy right now. Burning stored calories and trying to stay alive while you were at it. The constant insomnia was also wearing down on you. You just felt like you could fall asleep right here on the pier. But Newton jostles you awake by reminding you that you both had to head back to Stitchem Manor before night fell on Bunkum. You nod slowly in understanding and finally muster the strength to stand up with a long stretch. From there, Newton led the way back to his home. Leading back the way you came. Back up the mountain, back through the Ziggurat, back down the mountain, through the swamp again, and back to the boat. Once you both set sail, you watch the sinking sun with a lazy gaze.

It was quite a trip...but you really wish you were home. It wasn’t like you were miserable here. These strangers were so nice and open to you, despite your off-putting appearance. You just wished you had something to eat right now...and maybe a nap. Or a thousand year sleep, which would be far better. Still, Stitchem Manor came into view at the cliffside and you both began to dock the boat. By the time you both arrived home, the sky had turned to twilight as you slowly walked after Newton.

Who seemed to be rather jovial after todays ‘adventure’. Both Nana Pud and Captain Pud were there to greet you both at the gates of the manor, Larry Da Vinci was there as well. Seemingly having an idle chit chat while you both arrived. Once you two were noticed, you sluggishly came to a stand still next to Larry while Newton griped about being pampered by his doting mother. You and Larry couldn’t help but chuckle as you all said your goodnights and you and Larry headed away from the manor. You manage to look over your shoulder as the younger lightbulb seems to be happily waving to you while he and his parents go inside the manor. You returned the favor, albeit a bit more slowly as exhaustion slowly caught up to you. Once you were out of sight of the manor, Larry had asked how your day went. You pretty much told him everything. About the fun you had in Manglewood, the freezing experience in the Ziggurat, and the jousting shows in Bunkum Lagoon. You spoke of all the people you met and how Newton was informative and made sure to look after you. It seemed to earn Larrys’ approval as he nods as the pod comes into sight. Once you both were aboard and a course was set for Craftworld, you decided to settle in on the pillows on the far side of the pod. Where it was a bit quieter than the control room. Larry decided that he would drive you both back to Craftworld while you took a nap. You didn’t mind and happily accepted the offer. Though, he probably could tell that you weren’t getting enough sleep. You could practically see the darkness lining your eyes.

Now you were wrapped up in soft materials and laying in a nest made from pillows and such. Your mind was so tired and strained from being awake for so long that all you could think about was how many people you met in the last few days. How many potential friends you could make...but it was still a mystery as to how you arrived on Craftworld in the first place. Let alone how to get out of this dimension and safely back to Earth. If you wanted to go back...that is. I mean, you were still hungry. Even more so now. You could only sigh as the feelings of hunger went away some time ago after you tried to not focus on anything. You were still lost. Even if you met some friendly faces along the way. Still... how did you get here? And how do you get back? You merely blink as these questions run through your mind and you just let out a deep exhale and close your eyes tightly. You just needed some sleep for now. Maybe this is all just one big fever dream and you’ll wake up back in your normal bed with normal humans around you. No fabric, no cardboard, so sponges...just flesh and bones. Organic stuff... REAL stuff.

Or...at least the things you HOPE were REAL things. Oh, but it was just another problem to solve for tomorrow.

You let out another final long sigh as your heavy eyes finally close and you drifted off to sleep in record time.

Blissfully unaware of the images and energy seeping from your head while you slept peacefully throughout the whole trip back to Craftworld.

[snerdd]

Thoughts on YIIK

Spoilers under the cut.

Ok so like. I don’t know how to feel about this game. There’s a lot of really good things about it, like the first half of the plot, the art style, and the music. But then there are so many glaring issues you can’t just write off, like the progression system the often times cringeworthy writing, and the shitty characters.

Ok so a quick synopsis. You follow Alex, a fresh out of college 23 year old man who just moved back to his hometown. He finds his way to an abandoned factory where he witnesses a girl named Sammy Pak get taken from an elevator by otherworldy star beings called Soul Survivors. He gathers up a ragtag group of strangers in order to help find the missing girl, Sammy. Along the way Alex learns about himself and his friends and the nature of the universe itself. 

So the gameplay itself isn’t bad, the most similar game I can compare it to is Paper Mario, where each action requires a quicktime event to either do damage or lower damage/dodge attacks. This is both a blessing and a curse, for the attacks your party does, its nice and varied, offering a lot of different ways to attack. But with enemies its 1 of 3 types of damage, and it gets old fast, and if the attack multihits your whole party, it takes FOREVER. It wasn’t uncommon to be in basic encounters that lasted from 10-15 minutes. 

Now progression itself is nice, its a neat idea to let you customize how the main character grows, but. it. takes. forever. So to gain stats and levels, you need to enter the Mind Dungeon, which is only available at save points. In the mind dungeon, each floor represents a level, and each level has 4 doors offering different stats you can customize to your liking, sounds neat on paper. But this would require a significant chunk of time to do, 4 doors per floor and doing roughly 2-3 levels every time you go in. By the time I got to the later parts of the game, I just let the game autoassign stats because I just couldn’t be bothered.

Now........ the writing..... Alex isn’t likable at first. He’s a self-centered jerk who never shuts the fuck up, always having an inner monologue literally every cutscene almost about bullshit no one cares about. The good thing is that Alex doesn’t stay like this, throughout the game he learns about himself and learns to accept the flaws that he has and move past them to become a better person. The first half of the game is really strong to be honest though, it pulls you in with the neat supernatural concepts it throws at you, but by the midway point it gets overwhelming and you can’t really tell whats supposed to be going on. The other characters are, alright, Rory, Vella and Chandra were pretty cool, Rory being someone who pulls himself out of a depressive state, Vella being the central female character that teaches everyone about the supernatural elements they deal with. Chandra never really did anything but when she spoke she always asked good questions and had positive things to say. There’s also Michael and Claudio, both are fucking nerds and never shut up about their bullshit. Michael’s like Yosuke Hanamura from Persona 4 being a horny 19 year old and Claudio never shutting up about anime. 

Some other things I could say, the game is a buggy mess, it feels like it’s going to break apart at any minute. I had the game soft lock on me literally 4 or 5 times, the most significant 2 being when I was supposed to kiss a balloon, and the dialogue didn’t advance. And the worst being when I fast traveled to the University, and the screen started flashing black repeatedly until I closed out of the app. There’s also an abhorrently racist thing I found in the enemy AI. There’s a cop enemy, and when I had Claudio (a black man) out on the field, the cop would exclusively target him, I tested to be sure and it lasted for approximately 15 turns. Its honestly disgusting that the devs would include something like that. 

And on that note, I’d say this game is a solid 5/10, despite its glaring issues, its still kinda fun. Its currently sitting at $20 and roughly 30 hours at a leisurely pace. If it ever goes on sale and you like RPGs, I’d say go for it, because I’m sure that the devs will patch out their stupid shit and make it better (or at least I hope so.)

[scandinaviacroatiaengbergs]

Tuesday night and Wednesday! VOLVO! And then on to Norway, home of a-ha . . .

So, on Tuesday evening, we arrived to the Gothenburg Central Station and right across from it was the Clarion Hotel Post, which had basically a snazzy nightclub right outside and something of a British Royal Mail theme. The hotel was once some big municipal building, maybe their central post office, and it was refurbished into a nice hotel.  This was the night of our trip that was paid for by Volvo, and we would be having dinner in their fine-dining restaurant on Volvo’s dollar, or rather kroner.  We got all check in and then went up to our room.  In the room, some of the structural architectural elements were exposed, like a beam, that went diagonally from the bottom right corner of the room to the upper left corner  . . and  of course our resident monkey had to shimmy up that as fast as he could get to it.  Ugh.  Anyway, Cece has also taken to getting her wiggles out and exercise in whenever she can, and for her, it’s in the form of doing “pirouettes” in any space where there is more than two-square-feet for her to move in.  She puts her arms out, winds up, and then flings her body in a circle.  Anyway, I digress; after Rowan dusted that beam with his body multiple times by sliding down it, we headed out on the streets of Gothenburg for a few-hour walk before our 8:30 dinner reservation (yes, it was a late reservation, but that was per their decision, not ours).

We walked along a river, which had a linear kind of park, and then we wove our way back through a school’s playground (lots of climbing, swinging, balancing ensued) and a shopping district and got to the hotel with a few minutes to spare before dinner.  I will say, Gothenburg (and now Oslo) has a lot of construction going on, like, building construction and road construction.  It was also Pride week in Gothenburg and there were rainbow flags waving everywhere, and there would be at the Volvo HQ the next day too. So, dinner was to be Scandinavian delicacies, and the first course – which Eric and I got, but not the kids, because we didn’t get the pre-set meal for them and rather ordered off the menu, which we’d planned with Volvo European Delivery before we left—was some smoked fish and caviar and creme fraiche and some other little dollops of things.  We are not really “fine dining” people (I always think back and chuckle at the crazy insane fancy meal Cece, Alia, my dad, and I had in Riga, during which they brought my dad’s meat on a tiny little pyre of pine which they lit on fire at the table), but Eric cleaned his plate for that first course and I shared some of the fish with Cece.  Our second course was a white fish in a cream sauce with asparagus and tiny potatoes.  That was delicious.  The final course was dessert and it was super intricate: little gelled tartlets with meringue knots and yuzu sorbet and a few chunks of rhubarb and caramelized white chocolate sprinkles and white chocolate brownies, in three tiny pieces. See, I could barely remember all of the elements. Rowan devoured what was left of Eric’s, and Cece shared mine with me.  The kids main course was actually a mac-n-cheese variant and a side of roasted head-of-cauliflower, which I though was very delicious.  They also got sparking apple juice, which of course they loved. OK, so the next morning, the Volvo driver picked us up at 8:40 and drove us to HQ.  At about 9:20, we had the keys to our new car! It all happened so fast and rather unceremoniously!  I mean, there was some ceremony in walking through these sliding glass doors into a big room with curtains on the walls, where the new car was parked.  Maybe the romance was dimmed a bit by our squawking children.  For some reason, they were kind of at their worst at exactly the wrong time.  We were trying to get all of the info about the new car from the guy who was orienting us to it, and the kids were supposed to be playing just on the other side of the glass doors (we could see them) with Legos, and of course, they mutually decided it was a perfect time to terrorize each other.  Well, never mind, once we got the car all set up and got them somewhat sorted out, we went over for a really quick spin in our new car over to the Volvo Museum, which was really close by but was kind of a struggle to get to because of some super-sizable freeway construction plus a roll-over accident with a semi that closed a roundabout that was crucial to us.  That messed us up on the way back, too.  Anyway, the Volvo Museum was so cool!  The kids kinds of settled down once we were there, checking out all of the amazing old Volvos from through the years, including buses, construction equipment, firetrucks, and even a plane.   We made our way back to the Volvo HQ and were treated to lunch in the little café there.  It was very yummy: smoked salmon, potatoes, meatballs for the kids (which only Cece ate) and some vegetarian pancakes that Eric and I split. After that, it was time for  tour of the factory.  We had to put our cell phones in a locked drawer and don safety glasses and then hop in a multi-car little “train” wagon thing, with the other guests.  We were in the front car, with a very cool woman who was the MC (she is American, from Dallas, but married a Swede, and lives in Sweden, and guides these factory tour for European Delivery guests; she thought our kids were hilarious). The kids were soooooooo engaged by the tour.  It was amazing.  We went into the body shop part, where the metal pieces are  assembled and welded.  Then we went into another building where the other parts are assembled too: doors added on, components inserted, testing done, etc. It really appeared to be a very gender-balanced and age-distributed workplace.  The tour took and hour.  I would love to give more details, and I will when salient aspects pop in my mind, but my brain is tired right now, so this will have to suffice. When we got back to the HQ, we got our phones back and gave the glasses back and got a found out how we could avoid stopping to pay tolls on entering Norway (by doing an EZ-pass kind of thing where it just reads our license plate and charges our credit card).  Then, we re-packed the back of the car, got the kids latched in, and whizzed off on the road to Norway!  The land of a-ha!  My long-time dream!  I was joking that I was sure that as soon as we crossed into Norway, there would be a huge billboard saying, “Welcome to Norway, the Land of A-Ha.”  That wasn’t the case, surprisingly. We used the built-in navigation on our Volvo during our drive – and I have not yet stressed how nice this car is. It is so nice.  I mean, even though in Finland, Sweden, and Norway this car is like the standard one for taxis, it still resonates with me as the nicest ride ever.  But, the reason taxis are luxury cars in Scandinavia is because the industry is, and I quote Eric via an article he read because we were scratching our heads about it, “highly regulated and hideously expensive.”  Anyway, we got to our apartment in Oslo and we then had a struggle to actually get the keys to our Airbnb.  They were supposed to be with the employee working at the corner store, called “Joker,” and we went in, and the guy was like, don’t have ‘em.  He told me I was at the wrong Joker.  So, Eric went back to that one, because it was at the intersection we were told to go to, and the guy rebuffed him again.  So, Eric went a few blocks over to another Joker, and that guy was super nice and was like, nope, you were at the right Joker originally. So, we *all* went back to the original Joker, and lo and behold, the guy finally found the envelope with our names on it.  Then, the apartment building is a four-floor walk-up, which I can hang with since my apartment in the Renaud was too, but in this case, we didn’t have clear information on which apartment was the one we needed to enter.  I looked back at the original Airbnb posting and it said “sunny top floor,” so that answered that question, but there were two apartments!  So, we gambled, picked one, tried the key, and it worked.  Whew. It was super nice (I mean, it *is* super nice, as I am writing this from the extra-long kitchen table in this, indeed, very sunny top-floor apartment). I texted with my friend Ryley a bit, who lived here, and we went out by car to a grocery store near her and then popped by her place for a sec.  She’d made us banana bread and gave us a bottle of wine and my kids were bananas for seeing her kids, and they watched some hilarious puppy videos together while we chatted.  Then, we got back to our place, fed the kids yogurt and banana bread for dinner, and got them down – late again! And, in the next post, I will tell you all about our first day in Oslo when I did not, surprisingly, run into any members of a-ha.

[grailacademy]

Welcome To Grail Academy - Chapter Sixteen: Heroes And Villains

There was a small courtyard behind the factory, with stone benches and a circular gravel patch where a patch of grass grew from the center. People usually took their lunch breaks out there, but right now it was empty. The ringed path broke off in a line that led to a greenhouse, glass walls and a ceiling where vines sprouted out from the skylight. Nothing really grew in there anymore, aside from the weeds. Yorick found it as an opportunity to get away from the noise and bustle of the factory workers and his new team. Or so he thought. When he entered the presumably empty hut, he saw Scarlet, his back turned, clutching a singed white scarf.

“He loved this spot. Always quiet.”

“Scarlet….I’m so sorry.” “I don’t get what she sees in you.” “What?” “Sable saved us, all of us. Rescued me from a freak show circus, pulled Rettah out of a trafficking ring, kept Queenie from rotting away in an orphanage. Even Buck, he was working as an errand boy for his deadbeat dad before Sable found him. But you, you’ve got nothing. No training, no character. I don’t understand why you’re so goddamn important. She doesn’t even care that he’s dead.” “I’m-“ “She doesn’t even care that you killed him. It should have been you.” Scarlet hastily wrapped the scarf around his neck. He turned and stormed out, shoving his shoulder into Yorick’s to push him out of the way. Now, alone, finally, he couldn’t stop looking at the scarf, and thinking about what he did.

Nico loathed the Grimm Studies class. Though, he loathed all of his classes in general, but this one above all others. As Professor Kismet paced in front of the class, drawing diagrams on a chalkboard much taller than his own stunted stature in the green suit, reciting a passage from a next book about the vulnerabilities of mammalian Grimm, Nico found himself nodding off and drooling over his notes. Of course, he never actually took any notes, they were really more scribbles and doodles of him riding dragons and wielding flaming swords and guns, vanquishing the teachers whose classes he hated. He spent a good chunk of his study time chewing his fingernails, balancing pencils above his upper lip, and napping. Trying to find some entertainment in the dull period, he folded a sheet of paper into a triangle, and flicked it with his finger at the back of someone’s head.

Bernard felt a sharp tap at the back of his head, and turned around after the paper hit him to spot Nico showcasing a dashing smile with two pencils stuck up his nose. It had been a week since his team had enacted their plan for a private investigation, so he had been distracted and daydreaming in most of his classes as well. Bernard rolled his eyes and turned back around, unfolding the paper that had been delivered to him unconventionally. Pulling up the last fold revealed a crude drawing of Nico and Bernard, both wearing sunglasses and riding in a car with flames on the sides and comically large tailpipes, speeding away from an explosion and a fleet of alien spaceships. Bernard smiled and chuckled quietly, tucking the paper away in a folder that housed many more drawings just like it. But before he did, he turned it over and saw the note written on the back.

Wanna cut class?

As discreetly as possible, Bernard gave a thumbs up to his partner sitting a few rows behind him, and the theatrics went into play. Nico caught his signal and started licking the palms of his hands. He wiped the spit over his face and through his hair to the point of being practically drenched in false sweat, then held his breath until his cheeks turned bright red. “Professor Kismet,” Nico raised his hand and interrupted the lesson, “I don’t feel too hot.”

“Mr.Rosé, this is the fifth time you’ve fallen ill during my class this month.”

“Yeah, but this time, I really feel sick!” To add to the charade, Nico stood up and began to stumble down the stairs, gripping the railing with both wet hands. “Ooh, my head...my stomach….my bones….”

Bernard raised his hand, saying “I should take him to the nurse. I’ve seen what happens, it gets nasty.” Professor Kismet tiredly nodded and Bernard rushed over to his partner, picking him up and carrying him out off the classroom fireman style, all the while Nico moaning “I can see the light! Papa, is that you? I’ll be home soon! Wait for me! Oh, the light, it hurts….I feel so weak, papa!”

The two of them strolled through the empty hallways, taking care to avoid the corners where hall monitors were stationed. Uniforms weren’t required at Grail Academy, but some people still wore the emerald trousers and green-striped neckties over their white button-down shirts to show school pride. Those who didn’t feel the need to be patriotic, like Nico, just wore their combat outfits or casual clothes. Bernard loosened his necktie and rolled up his shirt sleeves, walking beside his friend who was holding his arms out and balancing on the lines of the patterned tile floor as they strolled. “Soooo….we never really talked about what happened.”

“Be specific,” Bernard crammed his hands into his pockets, “A lot of things happened.”

“We did see a dude die. Then there was Yorick running off with a bunch of murderers, Madehold being in a cult, and YOUR little adventure. What was that, anyway?”

Bernard stayed quiet for a few seconds before he responded by shrugging and shaking his head. “Whatever it was, it’s strong.”

“You think that was the stuff Yorick was smoking?”

“Boost? Maybe.”

Nico hummed, taking the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face clean from the spit he rubbed over himself. “Is Esme gonna be okay?”

“Don’t know.”

“The Great War left Remnant in shambles, which is why hunters were so important at the time. High stress made most communities trying to rebuild vulnerable to more Grimm attacks. So many in fact, that registered and licensed hunters were barely enough to defend the kingdoms. Can anyone tell me what happened as a reaction to this problem? Anyone?” The teacher for Remnant History slouched against the back of their desk, looking out over the sea of disinterested students. Professor Choi frowned in disappointment when nobody offered an answer, and slapped the long pointer stick on the chalkboard, under the word MILITIA that was circled and underlined. “Citizens formed militias. This will be on your written final, people.” Esmerelda yawned and glanced down at the textbook open in front of her. Grimm Studies. She was wasting time in this useless class when she should be out searching for her friend. She couldn’t stand to be so idle. “Citizens who weren’t already hunters trained themselves and established militias, and guilds of rogue hunters. The community efforts helped to fight back the Grimm scourge, but after the kingdom’s governments were fully recovered, everyone in those guilds and militias were arrested.”

Esmerelda’s hand shot up. “Why?”, she asked.

“Do you want the textbook answer or the truth?” Professor Choi leaned forward, glad that someone was finally getting engaged with the lecture.

“Which one will be on the written final?”

“Clever.” Choi straightened up and strutted across the room as they explained, “The official reason is that they were operating as hunters without licenses. But there are plenty of documents that prove the guilds did more work fighting back the Grimm than the actual hunters they hired. If they weren’t arrested, those villagers would put hunters out of business!”

Some of the classroom giggled, and Choi was proud of themself for getting a laugh out of their students. “It’s the power of community. Your semester exams are right around the corner, so remember this. Family protects each other. There is strength in numbers. That’s how the militias and guilds survived for so long, and it’s how you’ll survive.” Oh, crap. Semester Exams. And Esmerelda hadn’t trained for them at all! This never happened before. For the very first time, she forgot to prepare for a test. She was so focused on finding her partner that the exams completely slipped her mind. Beau was sitting next to Esmerelda, and she leaned over and asked under her breath, “What do you think it’ll be this year?”

“I STUDIED!” She was startled and blurted out the blatant lie, her nails clawing at the underside of her desk. The gaze of the entire room fell on her for a painfully long moment, and then her classmates went back to their work. “Ahem, uhm. Hm? What did you say?”

“I asked what you thought the exam would be! Are you alright?”

“Oh, of course. I’m fine, darling. Just tired, that’s all.”

“....Sure. Well, you aced all of your exams in the first semester, right? You must have some insight on what’s going down this time!”

“Gosh….I suppose it will be something physical. Perhaps a hunting mission? Last year my team had to clear out an Ursa den and retrieve a talisman. It usually entails an excessive amount of Grimm.”

“Whoa���.I guess I should get BRVI ready for it, then.” Beau closed her textbook and stuffed it into her book bag along with a couple of folders and a pencil case. She straightened the jeweled pin that held her headscarf tight. “By the way, where’s Yorick? I haven’t seen him in a while.”

Esmerelda plucked her nails out from the bottom of her desk and sat still in her chair.  “He’s visiting his grandmother in Atlas.”

[the-firebird69]

We open the first lawsuit against Tommy F and others for incarceration against your will and unlawful imprisonment and extortion attempt to extortion and savory theft abuse harassment and intoxicated behavior in regards to abuse and tons of threats by these idiots those two especially and Tommy f especially there are tons of them coming from them. You also know that every time we mention it they say they're asking for this and that and we show them pictures of other dead people that they're using as a threat and say these people are going to help you to do that these ones these ones so I'm just like waste all we can find and in enclosed and huddle and hovels and small towns if they're huddled together we just get rid of him and we're doing that now and he says taking huge chunk of them say what else you want to do today you want us to get rid of your cloning what's that too. I'm going to start whacking you people one by one just refuse to do anything differently if we take all your stuff and stick you in the pyramid and hit you away from him and he wants us to do it very badly just took Jason in there was a test he needs to leave that's a beautiful moron and continuous f**** everything out of his mouth is f this f that it's a huge piece of s***. It says it too if you're sitting there tolerating this behavior it could be doing something and you looked at it Thor says and it's not legal to tolerate and we're definitely suing them for it and suing tons of them and if they fail to appear we arrest them and we're sending out papers now if they don't appear at 8:00 a.m. no 7:00 a.m. yes and they get arrested there's an hour and 45 minutes hour and 15 minutes I was just I almost tricked him you see it would have been my trick to say hour and 45 minutes not an hour and 15 do you understand I'm here to kill you you're just making a lot easier than it really ever had to be you can watch around say that cuz my people are actually out there is due to your big huge mouths shooting you here.

I'm going to file the lawsuits now I'm going to issue papers momentarily and then stick them up there so far that they don't feel like talking all day and bringing up old rules I guess we're delivering papers to that a******that a****** on TV with Lily who was being charged with attempted murder and other charges it's true too cuz that's what she was doing and we served in papers and Max noticed and he went up and served him and said you tried to hurt my wife and she tried to kill her and you're sitting here doing some story about it so you show up for court or put a warrant out for you because that's fine I've had it with this life anyways he said we've had it with you Brad so put a restaurant on them anyways because he threw the papers away and you can do that too let me see you putting the restore inside all and we're competing and your guys are fast but we already here tons of them are in the arrest warrant on you too Mac because you're breaking the law for real. You don't do this for him and constantly saying like that and we need them in for until to disable your threat machine and you won't bring them in cuz you're saying you're bringing him in if you have like two or three of them so you can bring the rest in and go get those guys if you're there you come with us now. And it says I have all these lawsuits I haven't done a damn thing out of it and I want something and I need a class action suit to work and I need to work today and he keeps saying it to me what I get stuff in the past and nobody can get anything to me you're Uriel and Goddess Wife used to, so I don't know what's going on enough to say anything but why not have Uriel and those like him and Goddess Wife to deliver things that are extra and you guys deliver other things in it was working before maybe I tampered with it in other words you're really used to get me all sorts of stuff.

We don't see what you're saying just get it to me as soon as you doing this small investigation constantly to try and figure out how is this like sitting there saying why don't you just go to me just a pain in the ass I've been so much stuff to try and get it you can see the s*** out of them so this s*** out of them and take some of them stuff and money and get it to me it's part of the game if it's so damn freaking hard to get me something then you have to try every time to do so if it's so hard to do so it's the hardest thing to do and nobody can do it but me come on you guys have to figure out that you can get it to me somehow and then if it's a challenge there's a real reason for it

So sat back this morning just now and I said I can't get him the stuff that I'm getting and it's frustrating the hell out of me and I need to know why and I need to know how I can get there and I need to go on stopping it I know what's stopping it I don't know why they're doing it and then they say it's a big thing and I know what he says is my life is in a big thing now I need something they make a huge deal out of it they get cut off themselves and it seems out there and then it's over so I figured out what you're saying there's a gap here would probably get your stuff in and then they'll I'll Yelp about it for like a year and I'll die that's when we are doing it and that's true that's how Uriel and Goddess Wife was. So I'm on it and we're going to all try it and I'll see what's stopping it for real and he says if they're stopping it for real and I need something we have to go up and get them out of the way and get me something and see who the hell is in the way if you don't get it to me we're never going to know who it is or what to do like this battery actually got it to me we actually see who it is they actually almost got me to detonate the thing so there's one method. I agree with him it was a cigarette saying we got this and stuff and doesn't mind it because it gets their goat and then start going after him to see who it is but he said this why not set up an account with my name on it and at least get like a letter to me it says we're in the process of obtaining the proceeds from this and making it possible to get them to you because then they're going to ask you and you can just take it to say it out loud why is they're not allowing it I say this that's an outstanding idea because then you can send complaints to us in writing I will grab someone because they want us to grab someone and get in trouble I'm going to go ahead and do that because we're not making it real there's other stuff too I'm going to do he says because of my stuff the way I do it the way I want to do it I should probably do it that way because you're the one doing it and I agree to and this idea is for a few of us but if no one's spearheading it it won't go through and it's really a job for the lawyer so we'll sit down and see if we should do it this is I don't see why not it's going to attack whatever Bank you put in like Bank of America I think I'll be on its knees in minutes. True too it's a great idea and I can't stand those people all right we're Bank of America we kick your ass tons of money in it too a lot of money and so many zeros they have to have a real computer so we're going to do that now and he won't know but I must have let her get through you always fight it we want the letter to get through his house you'll get a beef up today and we're going to put a probably won't get here until the factory reserve a little but that time will be ready to do it

Bitol and Goddess Wife

Well you're an idea man and your stuff's ideas I just see what you're saying we've done this before and you're willing to others get stuff here and we want you to help Uriel cuz he has an idea Bitol and Goddess Wife, and I approve it and it's good to go forwards because it will expose the people who are doing it and non-stop too it will get rid of them like pieces of poop because they're actually just pieces of s*** why are you looking for a free wooden nickel we're going to clean house on you back your three crosses idea and jam it up your ass sideways it's all over for you guys you're so stupid I approve this idea and I'm sending it out to get it done assigning it to Bitol and Goddess Wife

Thor Freya

Olympus

We are Bitol and Bitol yes

[bellatrixobsessed1]

I’ll Meet You At The Bottom (Part 15)

So a little good news and a little bad news. Good news; today I contacted a publisher. I might be getting an original short story published. The bad news: this means I might not be able to update this fic as regularly. I’m definitely going to try, but I’m going to be putting more work into polishing my short story.

Azula pulled herself up, sore all over. She threw her belongings into her pack with such an alarmingly unnecessary fury. She’d stayed the night to prove that she wasn’t afraid, but she no longer desired their company. She didn’t desire any company at all. She supposed that deep down, she’d always felt as though she belonged alone.

 “Here.” Chan made off to dab at her head with a wet cloth.

 She slapped his hand away, “don’t touch me.”

 “I should have stepped in.”

 “I didn’t want your help.” She frowned and continued to fold her sleeping bag. With a sharp hiss, she clutched her ribcage.

 “Let me see it.” Chan reached out again.

 “I said don’t touch me.” This time her holler was loud enough to get a rouse from Taeyul and Wire. Even as she did so, she lifted her shirt some. She cringed at the sight of her sides, they were bruised and swollen all the way up, making it hard to move at all. She wouldn’t abandon her task though.  She would get an extra pouch of Ruby Tears from Chan and be on her way. She tightened her bag shut.

 “You really gonna leave us, pretty lady?” Minho asked.

 “You won’t miss me.”

 “That ain’t true.”

 “Ain’t it?” Azula mocked, she tugged up her shirt. “This is your fault. You and Yoona.” He flinched at the display. “Oh, I know what this is about. You just want more of this.” She hitched her shirt up an inch or two more, something she’d been all too good at lately. “That’s all you wanted, wasn’t it?” Two days late, the regret was setting in. Loneliness and desperation had made her easy. She recalled how he’d first leered at her, how could she have been so foolish? Azula tossed the pouch between her hands. Maybe Kohza was right, maybe she was just a ruby whore. She dropped herself back down. “Well, you got what you wanted, don’t think you’ll get it again.”

 “That weren’t all I wanted.” She thought she heard Minho say. “It were at first, maybe.”

 Azula ignored him. She would sit for a moment more and be on her way, whether Chan wanted to help her home or not. A drawn-out puff from her kiseru helped relax her frayed nerves and seemed to take the edge off of her physical pains. She looked in the direction of the palace, in the direction of home. How many people would be waiting for her? Waiting to drag her back to that loathsome institution. Azula laughed to herself, she’d like to see them try.

  The heavy sound of footsteps indicated Bo-Rem lurking before the girl announced herself. Dropping a token made from a rusty, beaten scrap of metal into Azula’s lap, she said, “You’re leaving? And here we were gonna let you join our gang.”

 The princess had no appetite for sarcasm today. She turned the shard of scrap metal over in her hand regardless. It was cut in an almost perfect circle with only a few sharp edges and bore the double-edged dagger of the Nyūkirā.  She flipped it over again, the back had two engraved letters an ‘P’ and an ‘L’.  In certain light, the metal chunk had a red sheen to it.

 “Boryuk didn’t know what to engrave in the metal for the initials.” Bo-Rem stated.  “So he just went with Minho’s nickname for you.”

 Azula furrowed her brows, thinking back to Mama Mozi. Of her many questions, she didn’t know which to ask first, so she asked the simplest? “Boryuk can metalbend?”

 “A little.” Boryuk shrugged, as if it wasn’t an accomplishment at all.

 Azula came out with the more pressing question.  “What is with you lowlifes and pretending like nothing happened.”

 “That kinda how it be here, pretty lady.” Minho replied.

 “We fight all the time, get it out, then it’s over.” Khoza shrugged. “‘Stead of dragging it out like they do in high-class politics.”

 “You just let it out all at once and get over it.” Wire added.

 “We also had to make sure you could handle us before letting you in.” Bo-Rem replied.

 “That how it work ‘round here.” Yoko declared.

 Azula spared the palace another glance and then turned her eyes to the trinket in her palm. An initiation process, she mused to herself. She supposed any group worth while had some type of hazing to go with it, Agni knew she wouldn’t have let just anyone join her posse. She slipped the token into her pocket.

 “So is you leavin’ or stayin’, pretty lady?” Minho asked.

 Her clothes were dirty beyond all compare, she longed for a nice hot shower, and a meal worth eating. Azula looked longingly at the palace. It would be another impulse decision that she would come to regret, but for now the Nyūkirā felt like real friends. They were rough and unstable, fickle and unpredictable but she was just as so.

 Chan tossed her a bottle of cactus juice. “So how about a trip to the industrial park? We could have a few drinks, make a little noise…”

 .oOo.

 She’s been gone for a little under a week and not one person has seen her. Or maybe they have but just didn’t realize it. Sokka wondered if her haircut had made her look that different. It couldn’t have, Azula had changed a lot but she was still Azula. He could see it on her, he didn’t even have to look, she had a certain aura about her. Sokka ran his fingers through his hair, how could this have happened? Why did he care so much for her? She’d never given him a reason to feel this much distress over her disappearance.  She needed someone, but why did it have to be him? Because, he decided, I was crazy enough to give her a try. Despite it all he had a bit of a weakness for caring for those who were usually looked down upon. And after his brush with his darkest nature, he had a weakness for seeing the humanity in the least sympathetic of people.  

 Yes, at her core, Sokka decided, Azula was in pain. Lost and in pain, and confused. Perhaps afraid even. None of those traits looked well on her and none of them seemed characteristic of her. That may have been particularly why he found himself overcome with stress and worry.

 As Sokka swept his brush over the canvas, he couldn’t help but recall her as he’d last seen her. She was so delicate, as close to death as she could very well get without falling through the thin veil. His brush glided faster as his mind raced. He was almost finished painting on her robe. It was lacking some in texture, but that only seemed right as his life in general seemed to be lacking texture lately.  

 Images infiltrated Sokka’s brain; he saw the princess laying broken and naked in some dirty back alley, she turned to him and asked why he had left her. This image flickered away, only to be replaced by Suki underwater with her arm outstretched, she was asking him where the hell he was. The images seemed to blur together and their questions intertwining.  He put down the brush, his hand trembling too much to pain right.

 He tore down the stairs, knowing that he had to find Azula. He had to find her right then.

If he didn’t he would find her dead.

Just like Yue. Like his mother. Like Suki.

 .oOo.

 The industrial park was the husk of an old war age factory. Like most of the wartime relics, the defeat of the Fire Nation put it out of use. It’s various smoke stacks were barren of their usual puffs and much of its coal had been coughed up and scattered around the dead grass and dirt. Azula knew this factory by its logo, it was the very same one that had pumped out the drill she had overseen a long time off. Spare pipes, cogs, and sheets of scrap metal unutilized were discarded in careless heaps around the park. Azula found herself sitting on the massive rail tracks, once used to transport the drill safely from one end of the park to the next. It was a jarring sight to look down, the hole beneath the track was big enough to swallow her whole. She spied the rusting corpses of war machines deemed unfit to fight for the purpose they were designed. Great machines that weren’t grand enough, discharged before they had a honor of joining the battle. She almost wished that, that could have been her. She leapt down and wandered over to one that may have been a prototype for her tank. It was beaten and unmovable now, but it still looked like it could shatter the terrain it trekked. She wondered what happened to her old tank, one day she would have to drive it again. But for the time being she accepted Chan’s cactus juice.

 One bottle had Azula’s strides a little clumsy. Two made every stupid remark made by Yoko, absolutely hilarious. Two and a half, and Yoona’s speech suddenly made complete sense. Three had her giggling hysterically when Chan tried leaping from a pile of stone blocks onto a pile of rusty beams, he missed by a bit and took a hit right to his manhood. Four bottles had her trying it herself, with more success but just as little grace.

She had to admit that she was having the time of her life. They had taken her on a great many adventures throughout the day; they had taunted a wild kimodo bull, leapt through a broken window to steal a dented kettle just to see if they could, stomped across Mama Mozi’s lawn after she’d turned her back, and tested their parkour when she’d chased them down.  Azula would argue that the kind of leaps and turns they preformed were worthy of high praise, but apparently the owners of the homes used in their show were more concerned with the unwanted intrusion than the impressive display. Their show was cut short when Azula got a first hand demonstration of the reasoning behind Wire’s name. They were doing splendidly, with a new burst of energy courts of the cactus juice, Azula had leapt from one roof to the rickety balcony of the house below. It sent jarring vibrations through her bruised and swollen ribs, but she didn’t notice through her buzzed daze. From there she used the rails to fling herself upon the scaffolding of a house never finished, leaping from one crossbeam to the next. It would seem that the building was privy to invaders for it was rigged all over. Azula had taken the care to dance over and weave through each. Chan and Taeyul not far behind. A loud “ah fuck,” and a decent thud caught her attention. She looked down to see Wire hanging precariously by his feet a story below. Between the ten of them, Wire was free, but his ankles were torn pretty horribly. Thus their rooftop adventure was cut short, all was well though, they had lost Mozi blocks back. And so they came to arrive at the industrial park earlier than planned where Azula had just finished one upping Chan. She finished with a bow that sent her into sudden vertigo. She stumbled forward and toppled over, rolling on to her back laughing. A few feet away Khoza started a round of slow claps—she couldn’t be sure if they were for Chan’s stellar landing or for her elegant bow.  

 “Ey, pretty lady” Minho called from his place atop a pile of discarded pipes and poles.  you wanna have some real fun?” Minho offered. At first she thought that it was another attempt to beg for the sex she promised him he would never get. He held up a satchel of Ruby Tears. Interest captured, Azula sauntered over. It has been a while since she’d had a really good fix. “If you add a bit of dandelion powder, the trips are much better.” Minho explained. “It smells better too.” He added as he dumped a fine dusting of dandelion powder over the Ruby Tears.

  With a fresh waft of Dragon’s Breath clouding her judgment, Azula she found herself lighting various things on fire at first just to see them explode. She and Minho made a game of it; whoever found the most flammable object won. Whoever didn’t, had to kiss Boryuk. A game that had her completely forgetting to hide the color of her flame. Azula scoped the area for something worth lighting. As Minho scoured the trash heap, she shoved her way into the factory. She rummaged through crates both open and sealed, most of them contained broken screws, nails, and bolts. A few had some perfectly intact hammers and wrenches. But they were of no use to her. She could set the mountain of coal on fire, but even at her highest she could still deduce that doing so would draw far too much attention. Coupled with the thought that she would be too drunk to keep a fire of that size in check, she put the idea out of her mind. Perhaps that was the smartest decision she had made all week. At last she came upon what she was looking for. A few sticks of dynamite and a small pile of gun powder. It was only slightly less foolish.

 “Found yours Minho?” She asked.

 “I find mine ‘while ago, pretty lady. Were waiting on you.”

 “Ell urry ip n lye it ip.” Yoona hollered. “Us wan see some sploshions.”

 “After you.” Azula slurred, motioning for Minho to start, after all the best was to be saved for last.

 “A’righty then. Time to bring out the classics.” Minho stabbed a large stick into the ground, nature’s finest firewood. Around it he spread a cluster of leaves. He set it aflame and tossed a lump of coal or two into the mix. She had to admit, his use of the bare minimum created quite a respectable blaze. But it wouldn’t come close to the inferno she was about to create.

 “Alright, Minho, prepare to meet your doom.” She smirked. She put his fire out and set her dynamite and powder in its place. She lit it up and quickly scuttled back. The blast popped and with the assistance of the gunpowder shot quite a distance, right into a sheet of steel where it ricocheted. The burnt of it had died away but the shower of heat that contacted her calf had her nearly on her ass. With a swiftness to match her own, Chan broke her fall.

She counted her blessings that the stick was a dud and that the hit only left a harsh stinging and an angry red mark on her leg.

 “I thinks you wons, pretty lady.” Minho declared backing away from the fire that still burned where the powder had trailed.

 “Whoops.” Azula muttered, but at the same time she relished in her victory. It was the first one she’s had since the eclipse. “Y-you must feelprettybad rightnow.” She laughed, well aware that her slur was growing more apparent. “Because my victory was so explosive, it will be ringing inyourears f-for, for a week.”

 “That pun will be ringing in my ear for weeks to come.” Khoza muttered, obviously not drunk enough for that brand of humor.

 Azula laughed harder, it was more like a cackled at that point. Her fire seemed to laugh with her as it crackled. Leaning up against Chan, she fixed her ear on it. Indeed her fire was talking, speaking to her like it was proud of her. “You’ve finally used me well.” It’s voice died off with a pop. She crawled closer to the fire as it praised her for her mastery of it. A burst of sparks took to the air and showered down on her in the form of compliments. She came closer still and reached her hand out, only to have Chan yank it back.

 “But the fire the fire it wanted me t-to come to it.”

 “It’s a fire, of course it did.” Chan smiled, running a hand over her hair. “I would like you to come to me.”

 Azula peered up at him with innocent eyes, as innocent as her eyes could be anyhow. “Would you?”

 “Absolutely.” He replied, coaxing her away from the hazard she was making of the fire behind her. He bent down enough to find himself level with her.  He brushed her hair out of her face, brushing his thumb over her cheek. Holding her close he mumbled in her ear, “you’re still unbelievably hot.” His hand slid over her thigh.

 She looked at her hands. They were on fire. She was fire. The flames were blue, she was her fire. “I know I am.” She replied, effectively ruining the mood. “I am fire.” She whispered to herself, truly and completely mesmerized by the flames she thought she had become.

 Chan rolled his eyes, but if that made her happy he would go with the moment. “You are fire, huh?” He asked.

 “That’s right.” She smirked, putting a hand on his cheek. Her flame-fingers seemed to lick and dance over his skin. “Do you know what fire likes to do, Chan?”

 “What does fire like to do, princess?” He asked stroking her back.

 “It likes to consume things.” She winked, pushing him to the ground. She needed to take advantage of the moment, it wasn’t every day that her entire body became flame, it never happened at all before then. There was so much raw power that came with being fire, she dared anyone to try to wield her. She would let Chan give it a shot.

 As a fire would, she leapt upon him.

 .oOo.

 As the princess became fire, Sokka snuffed out. He couldn’t find her, he tried so hard, but he couldn’t find her. And if he couldn’t find her, that must mean she’s dead. No one is gone for a week without a trace or a word and comes back alive, especially not a person hooked on drugs and so full of scars. He killed her in some way, shape, or form. He re-entered the palace all fury with a faint feeling that he should have asked for help.

 “Sokka, are you alright?”  

 “I can’t do anything Katara!” He hollered. He didn’t mean to yell at her but he needed to scream. He needed to hit something. “You healed her.”

 “Healed who?”

 “Aang was breathing for her.”

 “Azula? Are you talking about Azula?”

 “Zuko kept the guards on task and the guards brought her to the infirmary. You know what I did Katara?” She made off to answer be he was shouting again. “Nothing! I did nothing.” He was pacing frantically about the room, he did nothing just like when Zhao killed the moon spirt. Just like when Suki’s ship went down.

 “Sokka, that’s not true.” Her arm was on his shoulder.

 He came to an abrupt stop, shoulders slumping. “You’re right, Katara.” The relief in her eyes was short lived. “I did do something. I was the one who put her in that situation. Aren’t I just a great help.” A coffee table was on the floor before, clattering a few decorative platters along with it. He didn’t remember pushing it over, but he was sure that he did. He clasped his hands on his head. It was happening again. And after he swore to himself that he would never lose control again. The fear in Katara’s eyes was unmistakable and he couldn’t blame her for backing away. As compassionate as she was, she wasn’t an idiot. She wasn’t reckless like him, she knew when to back away from someone so far out of it that they couldn’t come back in on their own.

 For the first time he considered that he had never truly healed at all, that he’d been bottling it in the whole time, pretending that everything was okay. It wasn’t.

He wasn’t.

 He kicked the wall once, maybe twice, maybe thrice—he’d lost count after the first.

 “Sokka please.” Katara called. “You have to calm down.”

 He didn’t mean to but he chucked at that. “Okay, sure thing Katara, let me just flick my rage switch off. He watched her cringe against the wall, just like she did when the first time. He had hit her, not because he was mad at her, but because he was mad and she was there. This time he hit himself, it drove away the urge and was better than hurting her again. He wouldn’t be able to take it if he hurt his own sister again, just like he couldn’t take it that he had pushed Azula over the edge.

 Strangely enough, he found himself hating Suki. For leaving him, for doing this to him.  

 To his surprise Katara approached him. “No, no you have to go. I’m going to hurt you again.”

 “You won’t.” Katara insisted hugging him as close as she could, bringing a halt to his self-beating. “I won’t let you.”

 “I’m sorry Katara.” He whispered, his rage subsiding to make room for tears. “I’m so sorry.” He wasn’t sure if he was apologizing for the present or for the strife he caused her in the past. He needed to get a grip. He needed someone to help him find one. “You’re not going to blame her are you, it’s not her fault.”

 “Will it make you feel better if I don’t.” Katara asked.

 Sokka nodded.

 “Then I won’t. On one condition.”

 He waited.

 “Let me help you. I know you haven’t been yourself.”

 “Then why didn’t you say something?” He asked. “You’re afraid of me aren’t you.”

 “No, Sokka! You know that’s not true. I didn’t want to push you.”

 “Help me help Azula.” He quickly added, “you don’t even have to talk to her, just give me some support.”

 Katara sighed. “I’ll do what I can.”

 Sokka tried to smile, he thought that it almost worked. Maybe this time around, he would heal for real. Maybe they both could. If only the princess would come home.

 .oOo.

 In the week to follow, they had a lot of questions for Azula, having seen her fire for what it really was. She cringed, waiting for the backlash. It came in the form of an unrelenting rain of questions. What was it like to live in the palace? Is it true that you have your own personal guards? Is there a hot spring in palace, I heard there were three. And from Yoona, though jumbled as usual, Azula made out, “can you hook me up with your brother.” She came to conclude that Yoona was the most merciless of gang. Khoza was the only one who had no questions to ask. He was content to give commentary, “that explains a lot” among other thing.

Truth be told, Azula had expected repercussion and another beating, but they seemed to treat her no differently. Not better nor worse. They still treated her with all of the roughness of the days prior, they still expected her to accompany them on all of their ventures no matter how much class they lacked.

 That week had been the best week of her life. Save for the bottle and the dust, she was free. Truly free.

 In that week, she had grown fond of Minho. More so than she’d like to admit. He told her about his family. About his little brother Hi-Yung, who still had the cloth rabbaroo he’d sewn for the kid. Of his mother, crippled by a carriage accident—the one that killed his father. He told her of his dreams and asked her if she could help him. “I know I aren’t the brightest ‘round. But I have a idea. I has lots a ideas. I want to tell stories. I want folks to read ‘em.” So she let him tell her stories of the made up sort and of real adventures he’d been on.  And he was good at it, several nights in a row he lulled her to sleep with his wild tales. So did something she seldom ever did. She made him a promise. That when she got back to the palace and sorted things out, she would find him again and teach him to read and write. He was a brilliant man, she had come to conclude, a brilliant man who had never gotten a chance. She found out more than she ever wanted to know about him. He was rather comforting and made her feel less alone in her addiction. And when the others were fast asleep, she exchanged a story of her own. And he reminded her that she was strong, useful, worthwhile. He made her feel as though she wasn’t alone. He told her that he wanted to stop taking Ruby Tears and that they could do it together.

 Perhaps that’s why his death hit so hard.